imperfectibility
1
9.9
- noun
- /ɪmˌpɜrˈfɛktəˌbɪlɪti/
- Formal
- Such a government was, of necessity, limited and moderate because it was established in recognition of man's imperfectibility, particularly his capacity for evil as well as for good.
- human imperfectibility
Examples
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In their view, the imperfectibility of man was a consequence of his nature, and any reasonable political science must take that into account.
Academic text (2001) -
To a surprising degree, futurism has a neo-Puritan bias fraught with original sin and based on a belief that unless mankind recognizes its imperfectibility and changes its ways, it is doomed.
Academic text (1995) -
By contrast, a Darwinian science of human nature supports traditionalist conservatives and classical liberals in their realist view of human imperfectibility, and in their commitment to ordered liberty as rooted in natural desires, cultural traditions, and prudential judgments.
Blog text (7) -
The philosopher argued that the imperfectibility of human nature requires us to strive for improvement rather than perfection.
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Acknowledging our imperfectibility helps us to forgive ourselves and others for making mistakes.
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In educational reform, the imperfectibility of students is often cited to advocate for more supportive teaching methods.
Synonyms
1
9.8
Being impossible to change or make better
1
9.6
A state of being unable to become perfect
Antonyms
Surface Forms
Morphology
imperfectibility = imperfectible (semi-transparent) = im + perfect + ible + ity
The adjective 'imperfectible' transparently combines 'im-' (negative) with 'perfectible'/'perfect' and the final '-ity' is a regular noun-forming suffix, but the layered affixation may be confusing.
Etymology
Imperfectibility breaks into im- meaning 'not', perfect meaning 'complete', and -ibility (like ability) meaning 'quality of being'. So, imperfectibility is the 'quality of not being able to be complete', which is why we use it for the state of being unable to reach perfection.