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When you repeat, in that wooden and perfunctory way, that our situation is better than others, that we're 'well-placed to weather the storm', I have to tell you that you sound like a Brezhnev-era apparatchik giving the party line.
Daniel Hannan

Meaning of "perfunctory" in the English dictionary

Dictionary
DICTIONARY
section

ETYMOLOGY OF THE WORD PERFUNCTORY

From Late Latin perfunctōrius negligent, from perfunctus dispatched, from perfungī to fulfil.
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Etymology is the study of the origin of words and their changes in structure and significance.
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PRONUNCIATION OF PERFUNCTORY

perfunctory  [pəˈfʌŋktərɪ] play
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GRAMMATICAL CATEGORY OF PERFUNCTORY

noun
adjective
verb
adverb
pronoun
preposition
conjunction
determiner
exclamation
Perfunctory is an adjective.
The adjective is the word that accompanies the noun to determine or qualify it.

WHAT DOES PERFUNCTORY MEAN IN ENGLISH?

Apathy

Apathy is most commonly defined as a lack of feeling, emotion, interest, or concern. It is a state of indifference, or the suppression of emotions such as concern, excitement, motivation, and/or passion. An apathetic individual has an absence of interest in or concern about emotional, social, spiritual, philosophical and/or physical life and the world. The apathetic may lack a sense of purpose or meaning in their life. An apathetic person may also exhibit insensibility or sluggishness. In positive psychology, apathy is described as a result of the individual feeling they do not possess the level of skill required to confront a challenge. It may also be a result of perceiving no challenge at all. Apathy may be a sign of more specific mental problems such as schizophrenia or dementia. However, apathy is something that all people face in some capacity. It is a natural response to disappointment, dejection, and stress. As a response, apathy is a way to forget about these negative feelings.

Definition of perfunctory in the English dictionary

The definition of perfunctory in the dictionary is done superficially, only as a matter of routine; careless or cursory. Other definition of perfunctory is dull or indifferent.

WORDS THAT RHYME WITH PERFUNCTORY


battery
ˈbætərɪ
contradictory
ˌkɒntrəˈdɪktərɪ
directory
dɪˈrɛktərɪ
elementary
ˌɛlɪˈmɛntərɪ
emunctory
ɪˈmʌŋktərɪ
factory
ˈfæktərɪ
history
ˈhɪstərɪ
introductory
ˌɪntrəˈdʌktərɪ
manufactory
ˌmænjʊˈfæktərɪ
olfactory
ɒlˈfæktərɪ
rectory
ˈrɛktərɪ
refractory
rɪˈfræktərɪ
satisfactory
ˌsætɪsˈfæktərɪ
sectary
ˈsɛktərɪ
self-contradictory
ˌselfkɒntrəˈdɪktərɪ
succinctory
səkˈsɪŋktərɪ
trajectory
trəˈdʒɛktərɪ
unsatisfactory
ˌʌnsætɪsˈfæktərɪ
valedictory
ˌvælɪˈdɪktərɪ
victory
ˈvɪktərɪ

WORDS THAT BEGIN LIKE PERFUNCTORY

performatory
performer
performing
performing arts
perfume
perfumed
perfumeless
perfumer
perfumeries
perfumery
perfumier
perfumy
perfunctorily
perfunctoriness
perfusate
perfuse
perfused
perfusion
perfusionist
perfusive

WORDS THAT END LIKE PERFUNCTORY

bomb factory
canning factory
dairy factory
data directory
engineering factory
ex-directory
fish factory
glass factory
glove factory
moral victory
munitions factory
ordnance factory
Pyrrhic victory
refectory
silk factory
story
street directory
sugar factory
telephone directory
the Directory
web directory

Synonyms and antonyms of perfunctory in the English dictionary of synonyms

SYNONYMS

SYNONYMS OF «PERFUNCTORY»

The following words have a similar or identical meaning as «perfunctory» and belong to the same grammatical category.
synonyms of perfunctory

Translation of «perfunctory» into 25 languages

TRANSLATOR
online translator

TRANSLATION OF PERFUNCTORY

Find out the translation of perfunctory to 25 languages with our English multilingual translator.
The translations of perfunctory from English to other languages presented in this section have been obtained through automatic statistical translation; where the essential translation unit is the word «perfunctory» in English.

Translator English - Chinese

敷衍
1,325 millions of speakers

Translator English - Spanish

superficial
570 millions of speakers

English

perfunctory
510 millions of speakers

Translator English - Hindi

बेपरवाह
380 millions of speakers
ar

Translator English - Arabic

روتينية
280 millions of speakers

Translator English - Russian

поверхностный
278 millions of speakers

Translator English - Portuguese

perfunctória
270 millions of speakers

Translator English - Bengali

ভাসা-ভাসা
260 millions of speakers

Translator English - French

sommaire
220 millions of speakers

Translator English - Malay

Tidak tepat
190 millions of speakers

Translator English - German

flüchtig
180 millions of speakers

Translator English - Japanese

おざなりの
130 millions of speakers

Translator English - Korean

형식적인
85 millions of speakers

Translator English - Javanese

Perfunctory
85 millions of speakers
vi

Translator English - Vietnamese

làm cho có lệ
80 millions of speakers

Translator English - Tamil

அக்கறையில்லாத
75 millions of speakers

Translator English - Marathi

परिचयात्मक
75 millions of speakers

Translator English - Turkish

formalite icabı
70 millions of speakers

Translator English - Italian

superficiale
65 millions of speakers

Translator English - Polish

powierzchowny
50 millions of speakers

Translator English - Ukrainian

поверхневий
40 millions of speakers

Translator English - Romanian

superficială
30 millions of speakers
el

Translator English - Greek

επιπόλαιο
15 millions of speakers
af

Translator English - Afrikaans

oppervlakkig
14 millions of speakers
sv

Translator English - Swedish

perfunctory
10 millions of speakers
no

Translator English - Norwegian

overfladisk
5 millions of speakers

Trends of use of perfunctory

TRENDS

TENDENCIES OF USE OF THE TERM «PERFUNCTORY»

The term «perfunctory» is regularly used and occupies the 98.453 position in our list of most widely used terms in the English dictionary.
0
100%
FREQUENCY
Regularly used
54
/100
The map shown above gives the frequency of use of the term «perfunctory» in the different countries.
Principal search tendencies and common uses of perfunctory
List of principal searches undertaken by users to access our English online dictionary and most widely used expressions with the word «perfunctory».

FREQUENCY OF USE OF THE TERM «PERFUNCTORY» OVER TIME

The graph expresses the annual evolution of the frequency of use of the word «perfunctory» during the past 500 years. Its implementation is based on analysing how often the term «perfunctory» appears in digitalised printed sources in English between the year 1500 and the present day.

Examples of use in the English literature, quotes and news about perfunctory

EXAMPLES

4 QUOTES WITH «PERFUNCTORY»

Famous quotes and sentences with the word perfunctory.
1
Ivy Compton-Burnett
Time is not a great healer. It is an indifferent and perfunctory one. Sometimes it does not heal at all. And sometimes when it seems to, no healing has been necessary.
2
Thomas Frank
Promises to get beyond partisanship are the most perfunctory sort of campaign rhetoric, almost as empty as the partisanship itself.
3
Daniel Hannan
When you repeat, in that wooden and perfunctory way, that our situation is better than others, that we're 'well-placed to weather the storm', I have to tell you that you sound like a Brezhnev-era apparatchik giving the party line.
4
Alan Huffman
Long-distance train conversations are unlike the perfunctory exchanges one normally associates with strangers, or the truncated, cut-to-the-chase kind that sometimes take place between seatmates on a plane.

10 ENGLISH BOOKS RELATING TO «PERFUNCTORY»

Discover the use of perfunctory in the following bibliographical selection. Books relating to perfunctory and brief extracts from same to provide context of its use in English literature.
1
Revenue Recognition Guide 2009
the group of three is inconsequential or perfunctory as a whole, and so on. In addition, a remaining performance obligation should generally not be considered inconsequential or perfunctory if it is one of a number of similar items that are not  ...
Ashwinpaul C. Sondhi, Scott Taub, 2008
2
The Facts on File Guide to Good Writing
Equal care should be taken not to confuse the adverbs perceptibly and perceptively. perceptive/perceptible See PERCEPTIBLE/PERCEPTIVE. peremptory/perfunctory The adjectives peremptory and perfunctory are easily confused, although ...
Martin H. Manser, 2009
3
Wiley Revenue Recognition: Rules and Scenarios
Inconsequential Performance Obligations The SEC holds that revenue may be recognized in its entirety if the seller's remaining obligation is inconsequential or perfunctory. This means that the seller should have substantially completed the ...
Steven M. Bragg, 2010
4
The Economic Nature of the Firm: A Reader
The distinction between consummate and perfunctory cooperation is important in this connection. Consummate cooperation is an affirmative job attitude - to include the use of judgment, filling gaps, and taking initiative in an instrumental ...
Louis G. Putterman, Randy Kroszner, 1996
5
The SAT Word Slam: Rhyme Your Way to a Better Vocabulary and ...
Perfunctory. REMEMbER THIS: (adj) “Per-FUNK-ter-ee” Perfunctory “effort” is careless. I'm guessing thatno one likesthat. If your hairdresser's work was perfunctory, Nowyou: You're probably wearing a hat.
Jodi Fodor, 2009
6
The Journal of Jurisprudence
It is this, we presume, which has given rise to what the Glasgow writers, in their report1 on this bill, facetiously term the " necessarily perfunctory proceedings of a Small Debt Court." Why " perfunctory?" and, above all, why " necessarily ...
‎1861
7
Analects: With Selections from Traditional Commentaries:
5.25 The Master said, “Clever words, an ingratiating countenance, and perfunctory gestures of respect are all things that Zuoqiu Ming considered shameful, and I, too, consider them shameful. Concealing one's resentment and feigning ...
Confucius, Edward Slingerland, 2003
8
THE FEDERAL COURTS
Although there is already appellate review within most agencies, the review function is often performed in so perfunctory and unconvincing a manner as to have deservedly little credibility with federal judges. An example is judicial review of ...
Richard A. POSNER, 1999
9
Empire of Dreams: The Science Fiction and Fantasy Films of ...
See, for example, Bill Stamets: "There's perfunctory romantic friction between Sarah and Malcolm, perfunctory parent-child friction between Malcolm and Kelly, and perfunctory corporate intrigue"; James Berardinelli mentions "how perfunctory ...
Andrew M. Gordon, 2007
10
The Constitution on the Campaign Trail: The Surprising ...
Perfunctory Mentions These nonsubstantive references were found in around half of the platforms. Whigs and Republicans were a bit more consistent in the year-to-year frequency of perfunctory references; 54 percent of their platforms ...
Andrew Busch, 2007

10 NEWS ITEMS WHICH INCLUDE THE TERM «PERFUNCTORY»

Find out what the national and international press are talking about and how the term perfunctory is used in the context of the following news items.
1
'Masters of Sex' 3×3 Recap: All Work and No Playboy
... slog through domestic drama, bad business meetings, and perfunctory sexual-assault-as-plot-placeholder. Où sont les petits morts d'antan? «New York Observer, Jul 15»
2
UFC on FOX 16 Aftermath: Is Miesha Tate really next for Ronda …
(Let's pause here for the perfunctory disclaimer: By this time next Sunday, we might be discussing how Bethe Correia scored an all-time upset ... «MMA Fighting, Jul 15»
3
The bald truth: How author Nick Coleman's thinning hair made him …
So a quick glance and a perfunctory poke with splayed fingers were my morning ritual. And then one cold morning I poked and recoiled. «The Independent, Jul 15»
4
Whitewashing the Black Panthers
Indeed, Huey Newton's increasingly erratic behavior gets only a perfunctory mention in Vanguard of the Revolution and skips over the gory ... «Daily Beast, Jul 15»
5
Aussies well placed for opening options
A couple of laps of the playing field before play began on the final day, a few perfunctory practice hits against some underarm bowling, and a ... «cricket.com.au, Jul 15»
6
Are Monacos Royals Keeping Up With Kate and WillOr the …
... most perfunctory attention has dovetailed with the surprise emergence of Prince Albert and his wife Princess Charlene—along with their baby ... «Daily Beast, Jul 15»
7
Liberals Pan MTV 'White People' Documentary: Not Long or Guilt …
The visits to various towns were, as you say, very basic and perfunctory—which was actually at odds with the conversations he seemed to be ... «NewsBusters, Jul 15»
8
Road to Pa. budget resolution remains long
It was the second time in three days the two sides seemed to give more than perfunctory face time to each other. Yet each meeting ended the ... «Philly.com, Jul 15»
9
Shania Twain brings the hits, polish in Palace show
... she led a lights-lasers-and-pyro spectacle marked by precisely calibrated moments and even — at times — a perfunctory, mechanical feel. «Detroit Free Press, Jul 15»
10
Holness right on growth czar
Such writers could have had only a very perfunctory reading of Mr Holness' column on the subject. He wrote: "Jamaica needs a growth czar, ... «Jamaica Gleaner, Jul 15»

REFERENCE
« EDUCALINGO. Perfunctory [online]. Available <https://educalingo.com/en/dic-en/perfunctory>. Apr 2024 ».
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