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

Spokesperson Behrouz Kamalvandi told Iranian state media that the underground enrichment facilities remained intact and operations would soon resume. —Jesus Mesa jason Lemon, MSNBC Newsweek, 13 June 2025

Leaders role-model flexibility while keeping client and delivery commitments intact. —Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 13 June 2025

With an intact basolateral amygdala, a person considers social context, social structure, social norms and learned expectations in social interactions when deciding whether to be generous or selfish. —Tobias Kalenscher, Scientific American, 13 June 2025

During the last hour of the excavation, the researchers uncovered a fully intact side of the sarcophagus, which featured a carving of Hercules reclining on a lion skin with a cup in his hand. —Aurora Martínez, Smithsonian Magazine, 12 June 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