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# imperfect

adjective (imperfect); noun (the imperfect — grammar)

«imperfect» in the English dictionary: everyday — its meanings, how the lessons use it, and examples, each with its tree on Mova.

## Everyday

1. Having faults or mistakes; not perfect. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/I/imperfect/#m1)
2. (grammar) The imperfect tense describes past actions that were going on or happened often, as in French and Spanish, or «I was reading» in English. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/I/imperfect/#m2)

### In the lessons

In everyday life and ethics it reminds us that everyone makes mistakes: «we are all imperfect». In shops «imperfect» goods have small faults and are cheaper. In language lessons it is a past tense. Phrases: an imperfect world, imperfect but useful, the imperfect tense.

### Examples

- The vase is slightly imperfect, so it was half price. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/I/imperfect/#x1)
- Nobody is perfect; we are all imperfect. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/I/imperfect/#x2)
- Her English is imperfect, but she speaks it bravely. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/I/imperfect/#x3)
- Christians believe that God loves people even though they are imperfect. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/I/imperfect/#x4)
- In French lessons we learned the imperfect tense. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/I/imperfect/#x5)
- The plan was imperfect, but it worked. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/I/imperfect/#x6)

### Note

Noun: imperfection. Opposite: perfect. Prefix im- means «not» (like impossible, impatient). In grammar, «imperfect» is a tense name, not a judgement.

## On Mova

- [Trees and pragmatics of «imperfect» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/I/imperfect/): every meaning and example parsed by Mova, with its dependency tree and frames.
- [«imperfect» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/w/imperfect.html) on Mova free.