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Added 9 October 2026

perfunctory

/pəˈfʌŋk.t(ə)ɹɪ/ adjective

Latin root: perfunctōrius Wiktionary

adjective Definition from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about perfunctory at Wordnik → Where our words come from →

Done only or merely to conform to a minimal standard or to fulfill a protocol or presumptive duty.
a perfunctory kiss
Performed in a careless or indifferent manner as a thing of rote.
He did a perfunctory job cleaning his dad's car, finishing quickly but leaving a few spots still dirty.

Origin

From Late Latin perfunctōrius (“careless, negligent”), from the past participial stem of perfungor, perfunct- (“perform, carry through”), from per- + fungor.

From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)

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