Word of the Day 2.4.09
perfunctory
per·func·to·ry (p
r-f
ngk
t-r
)
adj.
1. Done routinely and with little interest or care: The operator answered the phone with a perfunctory greeting.
2. Acting with indifference; showing little interest or care.
[Late Latin perf
nct
rius, from Latin perfnctus, past participle of perfung
, to get through with : per-, per-fung, to perform.]
+
per·functo·ri·ly adv.
per·functo·ri·ness n.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition copyright ©2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2003. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
| Adj. | 1. | perfunctory – hasty and without attention to detail; not thorough; “a casual (or cursory) inspection failed to reveal the house’s structural flaws”; “a passing glance”; “perfunctory courtesy”
careless – marked by lack of attention or consideration or forethought or thoroughness; not careful; “careless about her clothes”; “forgotten by some careless person”; “a careless housekeeper”; “careless proofreading”; “it was a careless mistake”; “hurt by a careless remark”
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| 2. | perfunctory – as a formality only; “a one-candidate pro forma election”
formal – being in accord with established forms and conventions and requirements (as e.g. of formal dress); “pay one’s formal respects”; “formal dress”; “a formal ball”; “the requirement was only formal and often ignored”; “a formal education”
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Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2008 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.
