perfect

Where does the word "perfect" come from? It comes from Latin perficere, passing through Old French before entering English (1300s).

Perfect’s story begins in Latin: perficere meant “to complete thoroughly.” To complete thoroughly, from per- (thoroughly) and facere (to do, make), with irregular past participle perfectus. By medieval, the word had taken hold in Old French as perfit. Carried into French for something completed without flaw. It reached English by 1300s as perfect. Settled as the English word for something complete and without any flaws. Today, perfect means complete and without any flaws, or as good as it is possible to be.

1. Stage 1 · Latin · ancient perficere "to complete thoroughly", to complete thoroughly, from per- (thoroughly) and facere (to do, make), with irregular past participle perfectus.
2. Stage 2 · Old French · medieval perfit "completed without flaw", carried into French for something completed without flaw.
3. Stage 3 · English · 1300s perfect "complete and without any flaws", settled as the English word for something complete and without any flaws.