Underperfect

Part of speech: adjective, verb

Definitions

1. Not having all the necessary parts or qualities to be complete or perfect
2. Falling short of a finished or flawless state
3. Deficient in completeness or excellence, failing to meet full standards

Etymology: Underperfect is a formation from the prefix "under-" attached to "perfect," which came into English from Old French "parfit," from Latin "perfectus," the past participle of "perficere," "to complete." The prefix "under-" here carries its older sense of "below" or "insufficiently," as in "underdone" or "undercooked," so the word means something like "not quite brought to completion." The word is a modern coinage, and it is rare. Its meaning follows the pattern of many "under-" compounds that describe a state falling short of a standard rather than failing it outright. Because it appears mainly in informal or specialized writing, its exact first recorded use is uncertain, and it is not found in most older dictionaries.

Antonyms: overperfect, perfect