King James Bible Dictionary

PER'FECT, adjective [Latin perfectus, perficio, to complete; per and facio, to do or make through, to carry to the end.]

1. Finished; complete; consummate; not defective; having all that is requisite to its nature and kind; as a perfect statue; a perfect likeness; a perfect work; a perfect system.

As full, as perfect in a hair as heart.

2. Fully informed; completely skilled; as men perfect in the use of arms; perfect in discipline.

3. Complete in moral excellencies.

Be ye therefore perfect even as your Father who is in heaven is perfect Matthew 5:48.

4. Manifesting perfection.

My strength is made perfect in weakness. 2 Corinthians 12:9.

Perfect chord, in music, a concord or union of sounds which is perfectly coalescent and agreeable to the ear, as the fifth and the octave; a perfect consonance.

A perfect flower, in botany, has both stamen and pistil, or at least another and stigma.

Perfect tense, in grammar, the preterit tense; a tense which expresses an act completed.

PER'FECT, verb transitive [Latin perfectus, perficio.] To finish or complete so as to leave nothing wanting; to give to any thing all that is requisite to its nature and kind; as, to perfect a picture or statue. 2 Chronicles 8:16.

-Inquire into the nature and properties of things, and thereby perfect our ideas of distinct species.

If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfected in us. 1 John 4:12.

1. To instruct fully; to make fully skillful; as, to perfect one's self in the rules of music or architecture; to perfect soldiers in discipline.

PER'FECTED, participle passive Finished; completed.

PER'FECTER, noun One that makes perfect.

PERFECTIBIL'ITY, noun [from perfectible.]

The capacity of becoming or being made perfect.

PERFECT'IBLE, adjective Capable of becoming or being made perfect, or of arriving at the utmost perfection of the species.

PER'FECTING, participle present tense Finishing; completing; consummating.

See SANCTIFICATION.

Ascribed to:

Noah
Genesis 6:8-9

Jacob
Numbers 23:21

David
1 Kings 11:4; 1 Kings 11:6

Asa
1 Kings 15:14

Job
Job 1:1

Zacharias and Elizabeth
Luke 1:6

Nathanael
John 1:47

Unclassified scriptures relating to
Genesis 17:1; Deuteronomy 5:32; Deuteronomy 18:13; Joshua 23:6; 1 Kings 8:61; 1 Chronicles 28:9; 1 Chronicles 29:19; 2 Chronicles 6:36; Job 9:20-21; Psalms 18:32; Psalms 37:31; Psalms 37:37; Psalms 101:2; Psalms 106:3; Psalms 119:1-3; Psalms 119:6; Psalms 119:96; Proverbs 2:21; Ecclesiastes 7:20; Matthew 5:6; Matthew 5:48; Matthew 19:21; Luke 6:40; 1 Corinthians 2:6; 2 Corinthians 7:1; 2 Corinthians 13:9; 2 Corinthians 13:11; Ephesians 4:11-13; Philippians 1:10; Philippians 2:15; Philippians 3:12-15; Colossians 1:21-22; Colossians 1:28; Colossians 2:9-11; Colossians 3:14; Colossians 4:12; 1 Thessalonians 3:10; 1 Thessalonians 3:13; 2 Timothy 2:1; 2 Timothy 3:17; Hebrews 6:1; Hebrews 10:14; Hebrews 13:20-21; James 1:4; James 1:25; James 3:2; 1 Peter 5:10; 1 John 2:5; 1 John 3:6-10; 1 John 4:12; 1 John 5:18
God, Perfection of; Holiness; Sanctification

PERFEC'TION, noun [Latin perfectio.] The state of being perfect or complete, so that nothing requisite is wanting; as perfection in an art or science; perfection in a system of morals.

1. Physical perfection is when a natural object has all its powers, faculties or qualities entire and in full vigor, and all its parts in due proportion.

2. Metaphysical or transcendental perfection is the possession of all the essential attributes or all the parts necessary to the integrity of a substance. This is absolute, where all defect is precluded, such as the perfection of God; or according to its kind, as in created things.

3. Moral perfection is the complete possession of all moral excellence, as in the Supreme Being; or the possession of such moral qualities and virtues as a thing is capable of.

4. A quality, endowment or acquirement completely excellent, or of great worth.

In this sense, the word has a plural.

What tongue can her perfections tell?

5. An inherent or essential attribute of supreme or infinite excellence; or one perfect in its kind; as the perfections of God. The infinite power, holiness, justice, benevolence and wisdom of God are denominated his perfections.

6. Exactness; as, to imitate a model to perfection

PERFEC'TIONAL, adjective Made complete.

PERFEC'TIONATE, used by Dryden and Tooke, in lieu of the verb to perfect, is a useless word.

PERFEC'TIONIST, noun One pretending to perfection; an enthusiast in religion.

PERFECT'IVE, adjective Conducing to make perfect or bring to perfection; followed by of.

Praise and adoration are actions perfective of the soul.

PERFECT'IVELY, adverb In a manner that brings to perfection.

PER'FECTLY, adverb In the highest degree of excellence.

1. Totally; completely; as work perfectly executed or performed; a thing perfectly new.

2. Exactly; accurately; as a proposition perfectly understood.

PER'FECTNESS, noun Completeness; consummate excellence; perfection.

1. The highest degree of goodness or holiness of which man is capable in this life.

And above all things put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness Colossians 3:14.

2. Accurate skill.