intact
Americanadjective
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not altered, broken, or impaired; remaining uninjured, sound, or whole; untouched; unblemished.
The vase remained intact despite rough handling.
-
not changed or diminished; not influenced or swayed.
Despite misfortune, his faith is still intact.
-
complete or whole, especially not castrated or emasculated.
-
having the hymen unbroken; virginal.
adjective
Usage
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.
Other Word Forms
- intactly adverb
- intactness noun
Etymology
Origin of intact
1400–50; late Middle English < Latin intāctus untouched, equivalent to in- in- 3 + tāctus, past participle of tangere to touch
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.
With copper’s long-term uptrend intact and sentiment turning up from extreme pessimism, copper becomes a conditional confirmation test for the reopening theme.
From Barron's • Apr. 3, 2026
Let it come together for a few minutes, then blend part of it—just enough to thicken the base while leaving some beans intact.
From Salon • Apr. 3, 2026
Raw, or unpasteurized, dairy has not undergone the heating process that kills harmful bacteria while leaving nutrients largely intact.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 2, 2026
All that survived intact of the family’s former treasures were the netsuke, which were smuggled out of the family’s mansion by a loyal maid and returned to the family after the war.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 30, 2026
Geneticists were able to collect enough intact Neanderthal DNA from fossils to make a broad comparison between it and the DNA of contemporary humans.
From "Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind" by Yuval Noah Harari
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.
