perfectly
- 1In a flawless manner, free from any error or defect.
The gymnast performed her floor routine perfectly, without a single wobble or misstep from start to finish.
The tailor stitched the seam perfectly, with even, nearly invisible threads.
Similarflawlessly, faultlessly, impeccably, superbly
Oppositeimperfectly, badly, poorly
- 2To a full and complete degree; wholly or totally.
The instructions were perfectly clear to everyone in the room.
She remained perfectly calm despite the chaos around her.
UsageUsually before an adjective: perfectly clear, perfectly happy. A perfectly good coat has nothing wrong with it, often said when someone rejects it.
Similarcompletely, totally, entirely, absolutely, utterly
Note
A degree word rather than a manner word: it says how fully a state holds, not how well something was done, as in perfectly fine, perfectly stunned, perfectly calm. A quick test separates it from the "flawless" meaning: ask whether "completely" could stand in. John Aubrey attached it to a verb in his Remaines of Gentilisme and Judaisme, writing that the Gentiles would not perfectly relinquish their idols, meaning they would not give them up wholly.
Checked 6 Nov 2026 · 3 facts
- John Aubrey wrote Remaines of Gentilisme and Judaisme. openlibrary.org
- Aubrey used perfectly to modify relinquish in the passage about the Gentiles and their idols. upload.wikimedia.org
- Perfectly means wholly or completely in this passage. en.wiktionary.org
Practice
Can you tell the meanings of perfectly apart? Answer 4 quick questions from this page, or write your own sentence and AI will check it.
Origin
Formed from "perfect" combined with the suffix "-ly."
Checked 6 Nov 2026 · 1 fact
- Perfectly was formed from perfect and the suffix -ly. en.wiktionary.org