imperfect
noun/ɪmˈpɜːfɪkt/
/ɪmˈpɜːrfɪkt/
the imperfect
(also the imperfect tense)
[singular] (grammar)- the form of a verb that expresses action in the past that is not complete. It is often called the past progressive or past continuous.
- in the imperfect In ‘while I was washing my hair’, the verb is in the imperfect.
Word OriginMiddle English imparfit, imperfet, from Old French imparfait, from Latin imperfectus, from in- ‘not’ + perfectus ‘completed’, from the verb perficere, from per- ‘through, completely’ + facere ‘do’. The spelling change in the 16th cent. was due to association with the Latin form.
Check pronunciation:
imperfect