immaculate

adjective

im·mac·u·late i-ˈma-kyə-lət

Synonyms of immaculate next

: spotlessly clean

an immaculate kitchen

immaculate uniforms

: having or containing no flaw or error

an immaculate record of service

in immaculate detail

: having no stain or blemish : pure

an immaculate heart

: having no colored spots or marks

—used especially in botany and zoology

petals immaculate

immaculately adverb

immaculateness noun

… the immaculateness of scrubbed decks … —

William Sansom

Did you know?

You may already use the word immaculate flawlessly, but most of us have a spottier history with its antonymous counterpart, maculate, which means "marked with spots" or "impure." Both words can be traced back to macula, a Latin noun (plural maculae or maculas) that scientists still use for spots on the skin, on the wings of insects, and on the surface of celestial objects. Maculate has not marked as many pages as immaculate, but it appears occasionally, especially as an antithesis to immaculate. The pair is used, for example, by Clive James in a 2019 column in Prospect Magazine, in reference to Emily Wilson's translation of The Odyssey: “… the story sweeps along in immaculate iambic pentameter. In only one small aspect is the immaculateness maculate.”

Examples of immaculate in a Sentence

… they seemed as remote from metaphysics as their lunch bags and knapsacks. Yet weren't they all heading for those immaculate country snowfields to talk of God? —

Cynthia Ozick, Atlantic, May 1997

… and added to this was the fact that this Soviet Army Colonel had a service record that was as immaculate as a field of freshly fallen snow … —

Tom Clancy, The Cardinal of the Kremlin, (1988) 1989

I was expecting some giant to emerge, but in came a tiny, immaculate, white-haired man. —

Anna Russell, I'm Not Making This Up, You Know, 1985

She had an immaculate record of service. somehow managed to keep the white carpet immaculate

Recent Examples on the Web

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Aside from an immaculate transfer that perfectly preserves the textured, vibrant cinematography by Gale Tattersall, the disc boasts hours of extra features that are all terrific and provide unique insights into the film’s making, reception, and meaning. —

Jim Hemphill, IndieWire, 28 Jan. 2025 Less than a two-hour drive from New York City, the 30-room luxury hotel does not skimp on the details, from the immaculate turndown service to the excellent culinary program led by Executive Chef Roel Alcudia. —

Ariel Okin, Vogue, 22 Jan. 2025 Gael Monfils produced an immaculate four sets to knock out Fritz; Olga Danilovic produced two of the same to take out Pegula. —

Matthew Futterman, The Athletic, 19 Jan. 2025 The hacienda-style home is swathed in vines and surrounded by immaculate landscaping with native plants and blooming, vibrant flowers. —

Emma Reynolds, Forbes, 14 Jan. 2025 See all Example Sentences for immaculate