perfectionism

American  

[per-fek-shuh-niz-uhm] / pərˈfɛk ʃəˌnɪz əm /

noun

1. any of various doctrines holding that religious, moral, social, or political perfection is attainable.

2. a personal standard, attitude, or philosophy that demands perfection and rejects anything less.

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perfectionism British  

/ pəˈfɛkʃəˌnɪzəm /

noun

1. philosophy the doctrine that man can attain perfection in this life

2. the demand for the highest standard of excellence

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Etymology

Origin of perfectionism

An Americanism dating back to 1830–40; perfection + -ism

Explanation

If you expect everything to be flawless, you're familiar with perfectionism. Your perfectionism means any grade less than 100% makes you feel disappointed. You shouldn't be so hard on yourself! Perfectionism means you have extremely high — even impossible — standards. Your perfectionism might be self-focused, all about setting high goals and being critical of yourself when you don't quite achieve them. Some people hold others to these standard, their perfectionism leading them to expect impeccable work from everyone: "My piano teacher's perfectionism can be stressful. One wrong note and I have to start the whole piece over."

Example Sentences

He has little of Karp’s genteel bedside manner or public profile and is known instead for an unforgiving style and hard-driving perfectionism.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 6, 2026

“There’s a perfectionism to her that you don’t see because it’s so invisible and seamless by the time she’s performing. You can feel the precision and it’s impressive because it doesn’t ever seem hard.”

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 15, 2026

And as more parents push for perfectionism — to protect their kids from every conceivable threat in a world increasingly filled with them — they can inadvertently cause lasting harm to a child’s mental health.

From MarketWatch • Dec. 2, 2025

At times, her harsh inner critic took over and eventually the path to perfectionism led to burnout.

From BBC • Nov. 19, 2025

In the theater, passion and perfectionism and insistence on aesthetic standards are prized qualities, not unruly and unwelcome traits.

From "Drama High" by Michael Sokolove