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perfunctory - Meaning and Examples

Meaning of 'perfunctory' (Webster Dictionary)

1 . Perfunctory [ a.]
- Done merely to get rid of a duty; performed mechanically and as a thing of rote; done in a careless and superficial manner; characterized by indifference; as, perfunctory admonitions.
- Hence: Mechanical; indifferent; listless; careless.

Meaning of 'perfunctory' (Princeton's WordNet)

1 . perfunctory [ s]
Meaning (1):
- hasty and without attention to detail; not thorough
Example in sentence:
  • a casual (or cursory) inspection failed to reveal the house's structural flaws;
  • a passing glance;
  • In his paper, he showed a very superficial understanding of psychoanalytic theory;
  • perfunctory courtesy
Meaning (2):
- done or produced as a formality only
Example in sentence:
  • a one-candidate pro forma election

Nearby Words:

per per- peract peracute peradventure peraeopod peragrate peragration perambulate perambulated

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