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
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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.
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
Her discretion and immaculate appearance also made Bernadette Chirac into something of an icon herself.
From Barron's ● Jun. 6, 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
"There was nothing out of place, her house was always immaculate."
From BBC ● Feb. 21, 2026
I entered the immaculate little shop, redolent of freshly sawn pine and oak, and found him working at a shrieking band saw.
From "October Sky" by Homer Hickam
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.
