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 of intact

• entire
• whole
• complete
• full
• perfect
• comprehensive

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

Besides a little static halfway through the day, hairstyles remained intact until bedtime. —Kansas City Star, 27 Mar. 2026

In many parts of the world, healthy fisheries rely on intact mangrove forests, says Radhika Bhargava Gajre, a coastal geographer and mangrove researcher at the National University of Singapore. —Ryan Kellman, NPR, 27 Mar. 2026

The field still had an intact irrigation system hidden beneath the turf, as well as a heating system, artificial sun lamps, soil temperature control, and a water vacuum. —Riley Rourke, CBS News, 27 Mar. 2026

Using computer simulations to model the breakup in detail, Jiao's team found that Saturn's tidal forces would have preferentially stripped away the moon's icy mantle while leaving much of its rocky core intact. —Sharmila Kuthunur, Space.com, 27 Mar. 2026

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