perfectionist
Americannoun
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a person who adheres to or believes in perfectionism.
-
a person who demands perfection of himself, herself, or others.
adjective
noun
-
a person who strives for or demands the highest standards of excellence in work, etc
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a person who believes the doctrine of perfectionism
adjective
Other Word Forms
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.
Vocabulary lists containing perfectionist
Barbara Bush (1925 - 2018) Tribute List
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One Crazy Summer
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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.
People who know Magyar personally say he is a perfectionist with a short temper but who will apologise for his shortcomings.
From Barron's • Apr. 12, 2026
“If you didn’t have a type A personality and if you weren’t a bit of a perfectionist, you weren’t going to be a partner at Cravath,” Widen said.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 6, 2026
For 26-year-old Dayna, who describes herself as a "former perfectionist", it's a trait she is relieved to have left behind.
From BBC • Nov. 19, 2025
One person hemmed in by perfectionist anxiety was invited to sing with an off-key Masli.
From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 21, 2025
Like all athletic greats, Woolf was a driving perfectionist.
From "Seabiscuit: An American Legend" by Laura Hillenbrand
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.
