Perfunctory

3 definitions found

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Perfunctory \Per*func"to*ry\ (p[~e]r*f[u^][ng]k"t[-o]*r[y^]), a.
     [L. perfunctorius, fr. perfunctus dispatched, p. p. of
     perfungi to discharge, dispatch; per (see {Per}) + fungi to
     perform. See {Function}.]
     1. Done merely to get rid of a duty; performed mechanically
        and as a thing of rote; done in a careless and superficial


        manner; characterized by indifference; as, perfunctory
        admonitions; a perfunctory greeting. --Macaulay.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     2. Hence: Mechanical; indifferent; listless; careless.
        "Perfunctory in his devotions." --Sharp.
        [1913 Webster]

From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:

  perfunctory
       adj 1: hasty and without attention to detail; not thorough; "a
              casual (or cursory) inspection failed to reveal the
              house's structural flaws"; "a passing glance";
              "perfunctory courtesy" [syn: {casual}, {cursory}, {passing(a)}]
       2: as a formality only; "a one-candidate pro forma election"
          [syn: {pro forma}]

From Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0 [moby-thes]:

  120 Moby Thesaurus words for "perfunctory":
     Laodicean, airy, apathetic, at odds, ataractic, automatic, averse,
     backward, balking, balky, blase, businesslike, careless, casual,
     cold, cool, cursory, degage, devil-may-care, differing, dilatory,
     disagreeing, disinclined, disinterested, dismissive, disobedient,
     dispassionate, disregardant, disregardful, distant, easygoing,
     fervorless, fleeting, flippant, forced, forgetful, formal,
     fractious, free and easy, grudging, halfhearted, hasty, heedless,
     hurried, impersonal, inattentive, inconsiderate, incurious,
     indifferent, indisposed, indocile, inexcitable, insouciant,
     involuntary, lackadaisical, laggard, lazy, listless, loath,
     lukewarm, mechanical, mindless, mutinous, negligent, neuter,
     neutral, nonchalant, oblivious, offhand, opposed, pococurante,
     recalcitrant, reckless, refractory, regardless, reluctant, removed,
     renitent, resistant, respectless, restive, routine, rushed,
     sketchy, slipshod, slovenly, slow, slow to, spotty, standard,
     stock, sulky, sullen, superficial, tactless, tepid, thoughtless,
     turned-off, unanxious, unaware, unconcerned, unconsenting,
     undiplomatic, undiscriminating, unenthusiastic, unheedful,
     unheeding, uninterested, uninvolved, unmindful, unprepared,
     unready, unsolicitous, untactful, unthinking, unwilling, unzealous,
     usual, wooden, zealless