perfection
/pəˈfɛkʃ(ə)n
/noun [mass noun]
1The state or quality of being perfect: the satiny perfection of her skin his pursuit of golfing perfection...
- He hated mediocrity and always strived for perfection and excellence.
- Certainly, it is undemonstrative in its perfection; but that very perfection is a quality we should treasure.
- Is it the pursuit of perfection, a realisation of pragmatism, the search for the divine or perhaps baser instincts which drive us into wanting someone?
Synonyms
flawlessness, excellence, superbness, sublimity, exquisiteness, magnificence, perfectness, faultlessness, impeccability, immaculateness, exemplariness
1.1A person or thing considered to be perfect: I am told that she is perfection itself...
- A home that has both period style and modern comforts - is it perfection?
- The fruit and the sauce were nice, but the cheesecake was perfection.
- For me, mouse perfection would be cordless, with a comfortably ergonomic grip.
Synonyms
the ideal, a paragon, the ne plus ultra, the beau idéal, a nonpareil, the crème de la crème, the last word, the ultimate, a dream
informal one in a million, the tops, the best/greatest thing since sliced bread, the bee's knees
archaic a nonesuch
1.2The action or process of improving something until it is faultless: among the key tasks was the perfection of new mechanisms of economic management
Synonyms
improvement, betterment, refinement, refining, perfecting, polishing, amelioration
rare melioration
Phrases
to perfection
Origin
Middle English (in the sense 'completeness'): via Old French from Latin perfectio(n-), from perficere 'to complete' (see perfect).