pluperfect

• Adjectif désuet signifiant « plus que parfait » ou « extrêmement parfait » ; rare en anglais moderne, il subsiste surtout dans la terminologie grammaticale.

An archaic adjective meaning 'more than perfect' or 'extremely perfect'; now rarely used in modern English, primarily surviving in grammatical terminology.

1. More than perfectC2informal

   Exceeding the state of being perfect; flawless to an extreme degree.

   Plus que parfait, parfait à l'extrême

   • Her performance was pluperfect, leaving the audience in awe.
   • The chef's dish was pluperfect, with every flavor balanced.
   • He described the sunset as pluperfect, beyond any painting.

   Synonymesconsummatepeerlesssuperlativesupremetranscendentunsurpassed

2. Grammar tenseC1formal

   Relating to a verb tense that indicates an action completed before another past action (the past perfect tense).

   plus-que-parfait

   • In the sentence 'She had finished before he arrived,' 'had finished' is pluperfect.
   • The pluperfect tense is used to show the order of past events.
   • Students often confuse the pluperfect with the simple past.

   Synonymespast perfectpast perfect tense

• Temps grammatical utilisé pour exprimer une action qui était achevée avant un autre moment du passé, souvent formé avec 'had' et le participe passé.

A grammatical tense used to express an action that was completed before another point in the past, often formed with 'had' and a past participle.

1. Past perfect tenseC1formal

   A grammatical tense used to describe an action that was completed before another action in the past.

   plus-que-parfait

   • In the sentence 'She had already left when I arrived,' 'had left' is in the pluperfect.
   • The pluperfect is often used to clarify the sequence of past events.
   • Learning the pluperfect helps in understanding complex narratives.

   Synonymespast perfectpast perfect tense