An imperfection is a flaw, defect, or part of something that keeps it from being perfect. A small scratch on a new bike, a typo in an essay, a crooked seam in a hand-sewn quilt: these are all imperfections. The word comes from adding the prefix im- (meaning “not”) to perfection.

Imperfections can be physical, like a crack in a plate or a slightly lopsided clay bowl you made in art class. They can also be abstract: a character flaw in a story's hero, a gap in someone's understanding of fractions, or a weakness in a team's defense during soccer. Sometimes imperfections matter a lot. A tiny imperfection in a spacecraft's heat shield could be dangerous. But often imperfections make things more interesting or human: the knot in a piece of wood furniture adds character, and the wobble in your little sister's handwriting makes her thank-you card more touching than a printed one.

People have imperfections too. You might struggle with spelling or lose your temper sometimes. These flaws are just part of being human.