perfectionist

American  

[per-fek-shuh-nist] / pərˈfɛk ʃə nɪst /

noun

perfectionists plural

1. a person who adheres to or believes in perfectionism.

2. a person who demands perfection of himself, herself, or others.

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adjective

1. of, relating to, or distinguished by perfection or perfectionism.

perfectionist British  

/ pəˈfɛkʃənɪst /

noun

1. a person who strives for or demands the highest standards of excellence in work, etc

2. a person who believes the doctrine of perfectionism

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adjective

1. of or relating to perfectionism

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• perfectionistic
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• perfectionists
  plural

Etymology

Origin of perfectionist

First recorded in 1650–60; perfection + -ist

Explanation

A perfectionist is someone with very high standards: they want everything to be just right at all times. You know how perfect things are flawless? A perfectionist wants things to be like that all the time. A writer who is a perfectionist will revise over and over again, trying to get every word just right. A perfectionist boss will be hard on employees who aren't as careful or hard-working. Perfectionists tend to do very good work because of their high standards.