perfunctory

Reading level: hard

Estimated CEFR level: C2 — Proficiency

Estimated from word frequency; not an official CEFR classification.

Definition

  1. adjective hasty and without attention to detail; not thorough
  2. adjective as a formality only

Etymology

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

In classic literature

Synonyms

casual, cursory, passing

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