perfectus

English

Etymology

Learned borrowing from Latin perfectus. Doublet of parfait, perfect, and perfecto.

Noun

perfectus (plural perfecti)

1. (historical, Christianity) Synonym of perfect (“leader of the Cathar movement”)

Latin

Etymology

From Proto-Italic *perifaktos, perfect passive participle of perficiō (“carry out, finish; perfect; cause”).

Participle

perfectus (feminine perfecta, neuter perfectum, comparative perfectior, superlative perfectissimus); first/second-declension participle

1. achieved, executed, carried out, finished, completed, having been finished or completed; complete

   Synonyms: absolutus, complētus, factus, dēfūnctus, effectus

   Antonyms: incohatus, infectus, imperfectus

2. perfected, having been perfected; perfect, excellent, exquisite
3. brought about, caused, having been brought about or caused
4. (grammar) perfect

Declension

First/second-declension adjective.

	singular				plural
	masculine	feminine	neuter		masculine	feminine	neuter
nominative	perfectus	perfecta	perfectum		perfectī	perfectae	perfecta
genitive	perfectī	perfectae	perfectī		perfectōrum	perfectārum	perfectōrum
dative	perfectō	perfectae	perfectō		perfectīs
accusative	perfectum	perfectam	perfectum		perfectōs	perfectās	perfecta
ablative	perfectō	perfectā	perfectō		perfectīs
vocative	perfecte	perfecta	perfectum		perfectī	perfectae	perfecta

Descendants

• Catalan: perfecte
• English: perfect
• French: parfait
• German: perfekt
• Italian: perfetto
• Norwegian: perfekt
• Occitan: perfièch
• Piedmontese: përfet
• Portuguese: perfeito
• Romanian: perfect
• Spanish: perfecto
• Welsh: perffaith

References

• “perfectus”, in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879) A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• “perfectus”, in Charlton T. Lewis (1891) An Elementary Latin Dictionary, New York: Harper & Brothers
• perfectus in Gaffiot, Félix (1934) Dictionnaire illustré latin-français, Hachette.
• Carl Meißner, Henry William Auden (1894) Latin Phrase-Book‎^[1], London: Macmillan and Co.
  • absolutely perfect: absolutus et perfectus
    
  • an ideal: undique expleta et perfecta forma
    
  • to sketch the ideal of an orator: imaginem perfecti oratoris adumbrare
    
  • Plato's ideal republic: civitas optima, perfecta Platonis
    
  • a man of profound erudition: vir perfecte planeque eruditus
    
  • a work of art: artis opus; opus arte factum or perfectum
    
  • to live a perfect life: virtutis perfectae perfecto munere fungi (Tusc. 1. 45. 109)
    

Old French

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin perfectus.

Adjective

perfectus m

1. perfect (faultless, etc.)
   • circa 980, La Vie de Saint Léger

     Perfectus fud in caritet

     He was perfect in terms of charity

Usage notes

• The Vie de Saint Léger citation above is the only known recorded usage.