immaculate
Americanadjective
-
free from spot or stain; spotlessly clean.
immaculate linen.
-
free from moral blemish or impurity; pure; undefiled.
- Synonyms:
- unexceptionable, unimpeachable, blameless, irreproachable
-
free from fault or flaw; free from errors.
an immaculate text.
-
Biology. having no spots or colored marks; unicolor.
adjective
-
completely clean; extremely tidy
his clothes were immaculate
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completely flawless, etc
an immaculate rendering of the symphony
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morally pure; free from sin or corruption
-
biology of only one colour, with no spots or markings
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of immaculate
First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English, from Latin immaculātus “unspotted”; equivalent to im- 2 + maculate
Explanation
Immaculate means spotless, pure, and clean as fresh snow on a far-off mountain. Only obsessive cleaners can keep immaculate homes, but it’s a goal we can strive for, like that far-off mountain. Immaculate literally means without a spot or a stain. We can use immaculate to describe physical things, like bathrooms or kitchens. But we also use the word metaphorically to describe honor or purity — in the Catholic church, being immaculate means being "free from sin," like the Virgin Mary. Or someone with a pure, exact singing voice could be described as having immaculate pitch. If your home team plays a perfect game, you could say their performance was immaculate.
Vocabulary lists containing immaculate
Grade 9, List 4
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"The Book Thief" by Markus Zusak, Part Four
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All American Boys
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
As day breaks over Wimbledon tennis club, Rufus the hawk is poised, ready to protect the world-famous immaculate grass courts from flocks of greedy pigeons foraging for seeds.
From Barron's ● Jul. 1, 2026
Varley's social media feed included photos of himself, his immaculate home, successful career, and his miniature pincher dog Maximus, who the couple apparently doted on.
From BBC ● Jun. 18, 2026
And this sequence from the second quarter of Friday’s 105-104 Knicks win was an immaculate example of playmaking.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 7, 2026
It’s the slow-motion success story that made L.A.’s air not immaculate, but at least livable.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 26, 2026
The same novelty attended the force of a thousand men that kept the crowded streets immaculate.
From "1491" by Charles C. Mann
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
