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

Early 911s—cars produced during 1964 and 1965—are rare, as few intact examples have survived. —Robert Ross, Robb Report, 22 Apr. 2024

Black pepper is made from entire unripe mostly green but slightly red berries that have been dried with their pulp and skin intact. —Joshua Siskin, Orange County Register, 20 Apr. 2024

Across parts of the United States, a police officer can hurtle down city streets, snub stoplights, crash a car and walk away unscathed — job and reputation intact — even when those collisions kill or maim innocent people. —USA TODAY, 20 Apr. 2024

That suit remains intact, despite the fact the race will run before adjudication is complete. —John Cherwa, Los Angeles Times, 18 Apr. 2024

But in a nod to the charm of the old pool, some of its original tile work was left intact and is now part of interior walls in a few apartments. —Tammy Ljungblad, Kansas City Star, 16 Apr. 2024

And will those allies be able to keep the response intact? —CBS News, 14 Apr. 2024

But for many administrators, name changes are often an attempt to keep the mission of diversity programs intact. —Stephanie Saul, New York Times, 12 Apr. 2024

Currents swirled around it and sand piled up on it, but the weathered ship survived relatively intact. —Aspen Pflughoeft, Miami Herald, 12 Apr. 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