Perfect vs. Complete — What's the Difference?
By Tayyaba Rehman & Urooj Arif — Updated on April 18, 2024
Perfect implies flawlessness and often an ideal state, whereas complete refers to the state of being whole or finished without suggesting quality.
Difference Between Perfect and Complete
Table of Contents
ADVERTISEMENT
Key Differences
Perfect denotes a state of flawlessness and utmost excellence, often used in a subjective sense based on ideal standards. Whereas complete emphasizes the comprehensive presence of all necessary parts, focusing more on quantity and entirety rather than quality.
In usage, to call something perfect suggests it has reached the highest standard possible, typically in quality or condition. On the other hand, describing something as complete indicates it has all the elements required to form a whole, regardless of its perfection or excellence.
Perfect often carries a qualitative connotation, highlighting excellence and the absence of defects or flaws. In contrast, complete is quantitatively inclined, signifying that nothing more is needed for completion but not necessarily indicating that what is present is without fault.
The aspiration for perfection can be subjective and varies by context, such as perfect beauty or a perfect score, which implies an ideal reached. Complete, however, deals with the objective state of having all components, like a complete set or a complete meal, which doesn’t evaluate the quality of the components themselves.
While perfect is frequently used in describing skills, appearances, or conditions that seem without any faults, complete usually refers to processes, collections, or amounts, focusing on the aspect of totality rather than an evaluation of quality.
ADVERTISEMENT
Comparison Chart
Definition
Having no flaws or mistakes
Fully finished or whole
Focus
Quality
Completeness, entirety
Usage context
Skills, beauty, conditions
Processes, sets, collections
Subjectivity
Often subjective
More objective
Connotation
Implies ideal standards met
Implies all elements present
Compare with Definitions
Perfect
Precisely accurate; exact.
Her answer was perfect, capturing the essence of the question.
Complete
Total; absolute.
The silence was complete after the announcement.
Perfect
Absolute; complete.
It was a moment of perfect happiness.
Complete
Having all parts or elements; lacking nothing.
The puzzle is complete when every piece is in its place.
Perfect
Completely free from faults or defects.
The performance was perfect; not a single mistake was made.
Complete
To make whole or perfect.
The last chapter completes the book nicely.
Perfect
Ideal, satisfying all requirements.
They had a perfect day at the beach, with sunny skies and mild waves.
Complete
Finished; ended or concluded.
The building of the new gym is complete.
Perfect
Excellent or complete beyond practical or theoretical improvement.
The recipe was perfect, requiring no modifications.
Complete
Thorough; exhaustive.
He gave a complete description of the event.
Perfect
Lacking nothing essential to the whole; complete of its nature or kind.
Complete
Having all necessary or normal parts, components, or steps; entire
A complete medical history.
A complete set of dishes.
Perfect
Being without defect or blemish
A perfect specimen.
Complete
(Botany) Having all principal parts, namely, the sepals, petals, stamens, and pistil or pistils. Used of a flower.
Perfect
Thoroughly skilled or talented in a certain field or area; proficient.
Complete
Having come to an end; concluded
The renovation of the kitchen is complete.
Perfect
Completely suited for a particular purpose or situation
She was the perfect actress for the part.
Complete
Absolute; thorough
Complete control.
A complete mystery.
Perfect
Completely corresponding to a description, standard, or type
A perfect circle.
A perfect gentleman.
Complete
Accomplished; consummate
A complete musician.
Perfect
Accurately reproducing an original
A perfect copy of the painting.
Complete
(Football) Caught in bounds by a receiver
A complete pass.
Perfect
Complete; thorough; utter
A perfect fool.
Complete
To bring to a finish or an end
She has completed her studies.
Perfect
Pure; undiluted; unmixed
Perfect red.
Complete
To make whole, with all necessary elements or parts
A second child would complete their family. Fill in the blanks to complete the form.
Perfect
Excellent and delightful in all respects
A perfect day.
Complete
(Football) To throw (a forward pass) that is caught in bounds by a receiver.
Perfect
(Botany) Having both stamens and pistils in the same flower; monoclinous.
Complete
(ambitransitive) To finish; to make done; to reach the end.
He completed the assignment on time.
Perfect
(Grammar) Of, relating to, or constituting a verb form expressing action completed prior to a fixed point of reference in time.
Complete
(transitive) To make whole or entire.
The last chapter completes the book nicely.
Perfect
(Music) Designating the three basic intervals of the octave, fourth, and fifth.
Complete
(poker) To call from the small blind in an unraised pot.
Perfect
(Grammar) The aspect of a verb that expresses action completed prior to a fixed point of reference in time.
Complete
With all parts included; with nothing missing; full.
My life will be complete once I buy this new television.
She offered me complete control of the project.
After she found the rook, the chess set was complete.
Perfect
A verb or verb form having this aspect.
Complete
Finished; ended; concluded; completed.
When your homework is complete, you can go and play with Martin.
Perfect
To bring to perfection or completion
Perfected the technique to isolate the virus.
Complete
Generic intensifier.
He is a complete bastard!
It was a complete shock when he turned up on my doorstep.
Our vacation was a complete disaster.
Perfect
Fitting its definition precisely.
A perfect circle
Complete
In which every Cauchy sequence converges to a point within the space.
Perfect
Having all of its parts in harmony with a common purpose.
That bucket with the hole in the bottom is a poor bucket, but it is perfect for watering plants.
Complete
In which every set with a lower bound has a greatest lower bound.
Perfect
Without fault or mistake; thoroughly skilled or talented.
Practice makes perfect.
Complete
In which all small limits exist.
Perfect
Excellent and delightful in all respects.
A perfect day
Complete
In which every semantically valid well-formed formula is provable.
Perfect
(mathematics) Of a number: equal to the sum of its proper divisors.
6 is perfect because the sum of its proper divisors, 1, 2, and 3, which is 6, is equal to the number itself.
Complete
That is in a given complexity class and is such that every other problem in the class can be reduced to it (usually in polynomial time or logarithmic space).
Perfect
Representing a completed action.
Complete
Finished; ended; concluded; completed; as, the edifice is complete.
This course of vanity almost complete.
Perfect
(botany) Of flowers, having both male parts (stamens) and female parts (carpels).
Complete
Having all the parts or organs which belong to it or to the typical form; having calyx, corolla, stamens, and pistil.
Perfect
(analysis) Of a set: equal to its set of limit points, i.e. set A is perfect if A=A
Complete
To bring to a state in which there is no deficiency; to perfect; to consummate; to accomplish; to fulfill; to finish; as, to complete a task, or a poem; to complete a course of education.
Bred only and completed to the tasteOf lustful appetence.
And, to complete her bliss, a fool for mate.
Perfect
(music) Describing an interval or any compound interval of a unison, octave, or fourths and fifths that are not tritones.
Complete
Come or bring to a finish or an end;
He finished the dishes
She completed the requirements for her Master's Degree
The fastest runner finished the race in just over 2 hours; others finished in over 4 hours
Perfect
(of a cocktail) Made with equal parts of sweet and dry vermouth.
A perfect Manhattan; a perfect Rob Roy
Complete
Bring to a whole, with all the necessary parts or elements;
A child would complete the family
Perfect
(obsolete) Well informed; certain; sure.
Complete
Complete or carry out;
Discharge one's duties
Perfect
(obsolete) Innocent, guiltless.
Complete
Complete a pass
Perfect
(grammar) The perfect tense, or a form in that tense.
Complete
Write all the required information onto a form;
Fill out this questionnaire, please!
Make out a form
Perfect
(video games) A perfect score; the achievement of finishing a stage or task with no mistakes.
Complete
Having every necessary or normal part or component or step;
A complete meal
A complete wardrobe
A complete set pf the Britannica
A complete set of china
A complete defeat
A complete accounting
An incomplete flower
Perfect
A leader of the Cathar movement.
Complete
Perfect and complete in every respect; having all necessary qualities;
A complete gentleman
Consummate happiness
A consummate performance
Perfect
(transitive) To make perfect; to improve or hone.
I am going to perfect this article.
You spend too much time trying to perfect your dancing.
Complete
Having all four whorls or principal parts--sepals and petals and stamens and carpels (or pistils);
Complete flowers
Perfect
(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
Complete
Highly skilled;
An accomplished pianist
A complete musician
Perfect
Brought to consummation or completeness; completed; not defective nor redundant; having all the properties or qualities requisite to its nature and kind; without flaw, fault, or blemish; without error; mature; whole; pure; sound; right; correct.
My strength is made perfect in weakness.
Three glorious suns, each one a perfect sun.
I fear I am not in my perfect mind.
O most entire perfect sacrifice!
God made thee perfect, not immutable.
Complete
Without qualification; used informally as (often pejorative) intensifiers;
An arrant fool
A complete coward
A consummate fool
A double-dyed villain
Gross negligence
A perfect idiot
Pure folly
What a sodding mess
Stark staring mad
A thoroughgoing villain
Utter nonsense
Perfect
Well informed; certain; sure.
I am perfect that the Pannonains are now in arms.
Complete
Having come or been brought to a conclusion;
The harvesting was complete
The affair is over, ended, finished
The abruptly terminated interview
Perfect
Hermaphrodite; having both stamens and pistils; - said of flower.
Perfect
The perfect tense, or a form in that tense.
Perfect
To make perfect; to finish or complete, so as to leave nothing wanting; to give to anything all that is requisite to its nature and kind.
God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfect in us.
Inquire into the nature and properties of the things, . . . and thereby perfect our ideas of their distinct species.
Perfect
A tense of verbs used in describing action that has been completed (sometimes regarded as perfective aspect)
Perfect
Make perfect or complete;
Perfect your French in Paris!
Perfect
Being complete of its kind and without defect or blemish;
A perfect circle
A perfect reproduction
Perfect happiness
Perfect manners
A perfect specimen
A perfect day
Perfect
Without qualification; used informally as (often pejorative) intensifiers;
An arrant fool
A complete coward
A consummate fool
A double-dyed villain
Gross negligence
A perfect idiot
Pure folly
What a sodding mess
Stark staring mad
A thoroughgoing villain
Utter nonsense
Perfect
Precisely accurate or exact;
Perfect timing
Common Curiosities
What does it mean for a work of art to be perfect?
It means it is viewed as flawless or ideal in its beauty or execution.
What is an example of a complete collection?
A complete stamp collection has every stamp issued from a certain country or era.
Is it possible for something to be perfect but not complete?
Yes, something might be perfect in its current state but still require additional elements to be considered complete.
How do standards of perfection vary?
Standards of perfection can vary widely depending on cultural, personal, or situational factors.
Can a project be complete but not perfect?
Yes, a project can be complete by including all necessary parts but might still have imperfections.
How can feedback affect the completion of a project?
Feedback can help identify missing elements or improvements needed to complete a project effectively.
Can a novel be considered complete if it's open-ended?
Yes, a novel can be complete in the sense that the intended narrative has been fully developed, even if it leaves some questions unanswered.
What does complete involvement in a project imply?
It implies being fully engaged with all aspects of the project.
Does a perfect score always mean the work is flawless?
A perfect score indicates meeting all the criteria set for evaluation, though it doesn't guarantee no room for improvement.
What is the relationship between perfection and stress?
Striving for perfection can often lead to increased stress due to high expectations and fear of failure.
Share Your Discovery
Previous Comparison
Heave vs. Sway
Next Comparison
Hand vs. PawAuthor Spotlight
Written by
Tayyaba RehmanTayyaba Rehman is a distinguished writer, currently serving as a primary contributor to askdifference.com. As a researcher in semantics and etymology, Tayyaba's passion for the complexity of languages and their distinctions has found a perfect home on the platform. Tayyaba delves into the intricacies of language, distinguishing between commonly confused words and phrases, thereby providing clarity for readers worldwide.
Co-written by
Urooj ArifUrooj is a skilled content writer at Ask Difference, known for her exceptional ability to simplify complex topics into engaging and informative content. With a passion for research and a flair for clear, concise writing, she consistently delivers articles that resonate with our diverse audience.
