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 Suggestions In court filings released Tuesday, the Manhattan District Attorney's Office outlined several options to ensure the historic conviction remains intact. —Joseph Epstein, Newsweek, 11 Dec. 2024

In the past ten years, the night has evolved from an intimate dinner to a significant date on the New York City advent calendar—this is the first year that Mulligan and Mumford decided to share images anywhere—but the original spirit of Wassail, and its generosity, remains entirely intact. —Vogue, 11 Dec. 2024

Few can keep up with fame’s sugar-daddy demands for long enough to get to the settling-down phase with their sanity, health, and friends and family intact. —Belinda Luscombe, TIME, 11 Dec. 2024

These trends appear largely intact as the calendar approaches 2025, with average hourly earnings holding up at a healthy growth rate of 4.0% year over year in October versus 4.3% coming into the year, for example. —Jeffrey Schulze, Forbes, 10 Dec. 2024

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

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