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perfunctory

/pərˈfʌŋ(k)təri/
/pəˈfʌŋktəri/
IPA guide

Perfunctory means done as part of a routine or duty. If you give someone a gift and they look at it like it's roadkill and say nothing but a perfunctory "thank you," you might not be giving them another one anytime soon.

A person who does something in a perfunctory way shows little enthusiasm or interest in what they are doing. Many of our everyday greetings are perfunctory. For example, when we say "Hello" and "How are you?", we usually do so out of habit. Perfunctory is from Latin perfunctus, from perfungi, "to get through with, perform," formed from the Latin prefix per-, "completely," plus fungi, "to perform."

Definitions of perfunctory
  1. adjective
    hasty and without attention to detail; not thorough
    perfunctory courtesy”
    synonyms: casual, cursory, passing
    careless
    marked by lack of attention or consideration or forethought or thoroughness; not careful
  2. adjective
    as a formality only
    synonyms: pro forma
    formal
    being in accord with established forms and conventions and requirements (as e.g. of formal dress)
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