What does perfunctory mean?

Definitions for perfunctory
pərˈfʌŋk tə riper·func·to·ry

This dictionary definitions page includes all the possible meanings, example usage and translations of the word perfunctory.

Princeton's WordNet

  1. casual, cursory, passing(a), perfunctoryadjective

    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"

  2. pro forma, perfunctoryadjective

    as a formality only

    "a one-candidate pro forma election"

Wiktionary

  1. perfunctoryadjective

    Done merely to discharge a duty; performed mechanically and as a thing of rote; done in a careless and superficial manner; characterized by indifference; as, perfunctory admonitions; aspiring only to minimum standards.

    He did a perfunctory job cleaning his dad's car, finishing quickly but leaving a few spots still dirty.

Samuel Johnson's Dictionary

  1. Perfunctoryadjective

    Slight; careless; negligent.

    Etymology: perfunctoriè, Lat.

    A transient and perfunctory examination of things leads men into considerable mistakes, which a more correct and rigorous scrutiny would have detected. John Woodward.

ChatGPT

  1. perfunctory

    Perfunctory refers to an action or task performed with minimal effort, attention, or enthusiasm, often done out of routine or obligation rather than interest or genuine engagement. It typically suggests a lack of interest, care, or depth.

Webster Dictionary

  1. Perfunctoryadjective

    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

  2. Perfunctoryadjective

    hence: Mechanical; indifferent; listless; careless

  3. Etymology: [L. perfunctorius, fr. perfunctus dispatched, p. p. of perfungi to discharge, dispatch; per (see Per) + fungi to perform. See Function.]

Chambers 20th Century Dictionary

  1. Perfunctory

    per-fungk′tō-ri, adj. done merely as a duty to be passed over: performed carelessly or without interest: negligent: slight.—adv. Perfunc′torily, in a careless, half-hearted manner: without zeal or interest.—n. Perfunc′toriness, careless performance: half-heartedness. [L. perfunctoriusperfunctus, pa.p. of perfungi, to execute—per, thoroughly, fungi, to do.]

Usage in printed sourcesFrom: 

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Numerology

  1. Chaldean Numerology

    The numerical value of perfunctory in Chaldean Numerology is: 6

  2. Pythagorean Numerology

    The numerical value of perfunctory in Pythagorean Numerology is: 8

Examples of perfunctory in a Sentence

  1. Katherine Langford:

    I think representation is crucial. You need to see people who look like you, who think like you, speak like you, who go through the same things like you. And I think that's what filmmakers can do so beautifully, is to tell stories, i was also on ‘ 13 Reasons Why, ’ and I think that the two similarities between ‘ Love, Simon ’ and the show are that we're aiming to tell a story in an authentic way. I didn't choose either one with any social agenda, but I think that I'm really grateful to be a part of both and again I think that Katherine Langford need representation, particularly with a story that so many people have gone through and hasn't been told yet. Katherine Langford and Nick Robinson, the film’s star, noted that Katherine Langford and Nick Robinson was interested in the role as it put LGBTQ characters front and center for the first time. What makes it different is usually when Katherine Langford are seeing a film like this or a character like this their sort of perfunctory, Katherine Langford know ? They're not really... they're in the background. They're like a fringe element.

  2. Ned Price:

    Even with today's news, we can expect Trump to raise Putin's attack on our democracy in a passing, perfunctory way before again taking - or at least claiming to take - Putin's denials at face value.

  3. Trump Jr.:

    After perfunctory greetings, the lawyer began telling the group very generally something about individuals connected to Russia supporting or funding Democratic Presidential Candidate Hillary Clinton or the Democratic National Committee, it was quite difficult for me to understand what she was saying or why. Given our busy schedules, we politely asked if she could be more specific and provide more clarity about her objective for the meeting. At that point, Ms. Veselnitskaya pivoted and began talking about the adoption of Russian children by U.S. citizens and something called the Magnitsky Act.

Popularity rank by frequency of use

perfunctory#10000#92204#100000

Translations for perfunctory

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"perfunctory." Definitions.net. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 24 Dec. 2024. <https://www.definitions.net/definition/perfunctory>.

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