intact

adjective

in·​tact in-ˈtakt 

1

: untouched especially by anything that harms or diminishes : entire, uninjured

2

of a living body or its parts : having no relevant component removed or destroyed:

a

: physically virginal

b

: not castrated

intactness

in-ˈtak(t)-nəs 

noun

Synonyms

• compleat
• complete
• comprehensive
• entire
• full
• grand
• integral
• perfect
• plenary
• total
• whole

Choose the Right Synonym for intact

perfect, whole, entire, intact mean not lacking or faulty in any particular.

perfect implies the soundness and the excellence of every part, element, or quality of a thing frequently as an unattainable or theoretical state.

a perfect set of teeth

whole suggests a completeness or perfection that can be sought, gained, or regained.

felt like a whole person again after vacation

entire implies perfection deriving from integrity, soundness, or completeness of a thing.

the entire Beethoven corpus

intact implies retention of perfection of a thing in its natural or original state.

the boat survived the storm intact

Examples of intact in a Sentence

The house survived the war intact.

After 25 years, their friendship remained intact.

Recent Examples on the Web

The budget for the National Weather Service would remain intact. —Alejandra Borunda, NPR, 11 Apr. 2025

While the core of Wiegman’s squad remains intact, England are missing some key figures. —Julia Ranney, New York Times, 9 Apr. 2025

The messy romantic drama between third-year resident Dr. Danny Simms (Willa Fitzgerald) and chief Dr. Xander Phillips (Collin Woodall) takes place in the backdrop of a severe hurricane, but could Miami’s Maguire Hospital stand intact? —Lea Veloso, StyleCaster, 7 Apr. 2025

Archaeologists also found a number of other artifacts at the site – including the bones of a different dog, the remains of a young pig, around 33 intact drinking cups and a bronze bowl, though Verbrugge characterized those discoveries as settlement waste or litter rather than ritual offerings. —Andrea Margolis, FOXNews.com, 7 Apr. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English intacte, from Latin intactus, from in- + tactus, past participle of tangere to touch — more at tangent entry 2

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for intact

• abstract
• attacked
• attract
• contact
• contract
• detract
• distract
• enact
• exact
• extract
• hijacked
• impact

Kids Definition

intact

adjective

in·​tact in-ˈtakt 

: untouched especially by anything that harms : not damaged or lessened

Medical Definition

intact

adjective

in·​tact in-ˈtakt 

: physically and functionally complete

The sense of smell was intact.

intact cell membranes

specifically, of an animal : not castrated

intactness noun