imperfect [Lat. imperfectus ‘unfinished, incomplete’] (also past tense, preterite)

Past tense for events which extend into the present in languages which distinguish between aorist (comparable to French passé simple as a historical perfect), perfect (=term for an action that is completed at a specific point in time), and imperfect. In contrast to preterite, the imperfect is marked in regard to aspect.