Imparfaite

Imparfaite is the feminine singular form of the French adjective imparfait, meaning imperfect or flawed. It is used to describe a feminine noun that is not complete, not flawless, or that has defects. In practice, imparfaite can refer to quality, condition, or version that is not fully satisfactory. For example: Cette théorie est imparfaite. Une technique imparfaite peut entraîner des erreurs.

In grammar, the term for the past tense is l’imparfait (masculine). The feminine form imparfaite is not used to name the tense; instead, one would still say l’imparfait. The feminine form is simply the agreement of the adjective with a feminine noun.

Imparfaite can appear in various contexts to express imperfection or incompleteness, such as describing a flawed image, a faulty plan, or an imperfect rendering. It contrasts with parfait, meaning perfect, and with terms that denote complete correctness.

See also: Imparfait (grammar tense), imperfect as a concept in linguistics. In other Romance languages, the equivalent term for imperfect is often a form of imperfecto or imperfetto, which similarly denotes past actions or states without focusing on completeness.