intact

[in-takt]

adjective

1. not altered, broken, or impaired; remaining uninjured, sound, or whole; untouched; unblemished.

   The vase remained intact despite rough handling.

2. not changed or diminished; not influenced or swayed.

   Despite misfortune, his faith is still intact.

3. complete or whole, especially not castrated or emasculated.

4. having the hymen unbroken; virginal.

intact

/ ɪnˈtækt /

adjective

1. untouched or unimpaired; left complete or perfect

Other Word Forms

• intactly adverb
• intactness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of intact¹

1400–50; late Middle English < Latin intāctus untouched, equivalent to in- in- ³ + tāctus, past participle of tangere to touch

Word History and Origins

Origin of intact¹

C15: from Latin intactus not touched, from tangere to touch

Example Sentences

Though California’s glaciers are dwindling, he said, larger mountain glaciers elsewhere in the world still have more intact ice, and efforts to stop the use of fossil fuels could help preserve them.

From Los Angeles Times

The Unite union said the government was "responsible for the redundancies going ahead, as it could provide support to ensure the refinery is kept intact and operational".

From BBC

"This is a 'just in time' operation, so storing those parts, making sure they're not damaged, making sure that quality control is intact would be difficult," she said.

From BBC

But the Hamas militant claimed that some remained intact and that the group had learned from Israel's successes in destroying militant units that have attempted to hold ground in a fight.

From BBC

Steel-moment-frame buildings rely on the connections between horizontal beams and vertical columns to stay intact during earthquake shaking, keeping the skeleton of the building together.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• flawless 
• perfect 
• unblemished 
• unbroken 
• unharmed 
• unhurt 
• unscathed 
• untouched 

When To Use

What are other ways to say intact?

Something that is intact is not altered, broken, or impaired. How does intact compare to synonyms entire, complete, and perfect? Find out on Thesaurus.com.