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Complete vs Perfect - What's the difference?

complete | perfect |

Perfect is a synonym of complete.



In transitive terms the difference between complete and perfect

is that complete is to make whole or entire while perfect is to make perfect; to improve or hone.

As a noun perfect is

the perfect tense, or a form in that tense.

complete

English

Alternative forms

* compleat (archaic)

Verb

(complet)
  • To finish; to make done; to reach the end.
  • He completed the assignment on time.
  • To make whole or entire.
  • The last chapter completes the book nicely.

    Usage notes

    * This is a catenative verb that takes the gerund (-ing) . See

    Synonyms

    * accomplish * finish

    Adjective

    (en-adj)
  • With all parts included; with nothing missing; full.
  • * {{quote-magazine, year=2012, month=March-April
  • , author= , title=Well-connected Brains , volume=100, issue=2, page=171 , magazine=(American Scientist) citation , passage=Creating a complete map of the human connectome would therefore be a monumental milestone but not the end of the journey to understanding how our brains work.}}
  • Finished; ended; concluded; completed.
  • *
  • , title=(The Celebrity), chapter=5 , passage=In the eyes of Mr. Farquhar Fenelon Cooke the apotheosis of the Celebrity was complete . The people of Asquith were not only willing to attend the house-warming, but had been worked up to the pitch of eagerness. The Celebrity as a matter of course was master of ceremonies.}}
  • (Generic intensifier).
  • (analysis, Of a metric space) in which every Cauchy sequence converges.
  • (algebra, Of a lattice) in which every set with a lower bound has a greatest lower bound.
  • (math, Of a category) in which all small limits exist.
  • (logic, of a proof system of a formal system)   With respect to a given semantics, that any well-formed formula which is (semantically) valid must also be provable.Sainsbury, Mark [2001] Logical Forms : An Introduction to Philosophical Logic . Blackwell Publishing, Hong Kong (2010), p. 358.
  • * Gödel's first incompleteness theorem showed that Principia'' could not be both consistent and complete. According to the theorem, for every sufficiently powerful logical system (such as ''Principia''), there exists a statement ''G'' that essentially reads, "The statement ''G'' cannot be proved." Such a statement is a sort of Catch-22: if ''G'' is provable, then it is false, and the system is therefore inconsistent; and if ''G is not provable, then it is true, and the system is therefore incomplete.(w)
  • Synonyms

    * (with everything included) entire, total * (finished) done

    Antonyms

    * incomplete

    Derived terms

    * bicomplete * cocomplete * completeness * completist * completely * completion

    References

    Statistics

    * 1000 English basic words ----

    perfect

    English

    Alternative forms

    *

    Etymology 1

    From (etyl) perfit, from (etyl) parfit (modern: parfait), from (etyl) perfectus, perfect passive participle of . Spelling modified 15c. to conform Latin etymology.

    Adjective

    (en adjective)
  • Fitting its definition precisely.
  • :
  • Having all of its parts in harmony with a common purpose.
  • :
  • Without fault or mistake; thoroughly skilled or talented.
  • :
  • Excellent and delightful in all respects.
  • :
  • *
  • *:They burned the old gun that used to stand in the dark corner up in the garret, close to the stuffed fox that always grinned so fiercely. Perhaps the reason why he seemed in such a ghastly rage was that he did not come by his death fairly. Otherwise his pelt would not have been so perfect . And why else was he put away up there out of sight?—and so magnificent a brush as he had too.
  • Representing a completed action.
  • (lb) Sexually mature and fully differentiated.
  • (lb) Of flowers, having both male (stamens) and female (carpels) parts.
  • (lb) Of a set, that it is equal to its set of limit points, i.e. set A'' is perfect if ''A =A'.
  • (lb) Describing an interval or any compound interval of a unison, octave, or fourths and fifths that are not tritones.
  • (lb) Made with equal parts of sweet and dry vermouth.
  • :
  • (lb) Well informed; certain; sure.
  • *(William Shakespeare) (1564-1616)
  • *:I am perfect that the Pannonians are now in arms.
  • Synonyms
    * (fitting its definition precisely) accurate, flawless * (without fault or mistake) faultless, infallible * (thoroughly skilled or talented) expert, proficient * mature * bisexual, hermaphroditic * See also
    Antonyms
    * (fitting its definition precisely) flawed * (without fault or mistake) faulty, faultful, fallible * imperfect
    Derived terms
    * future perfect * nobody's perfect * past perfect * perfect number * perfect pitch * picture-perfect * pixel-perfect * practice makes perfect * present perfect * word-perfect

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • (grammar) The perfect tense, or a form in that tense.
  • Etymology 2

    From (perfect) (adjective) or from (etyl)

    Verb

    (en verb)
  • To make perfect; to improve or hone.
  • I am going to perfect this article.
    You spend too much time trying to perfect your dancing.
  • (legal) To take an action, usually the filing of a document in the correct venue, that secures a legal right.
  • perfect''' an appeal''; '''''perfect''' an interest''; '''''perfect a judgment
    Synonyms
    * (to make perfect) enhance, hone, improve, optimize

    Statistics

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