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

Example Sentences

"It helped me channel my perfectionism, taking it out of the dark and into the light and dissipating that shame."

From BBC

Some 106 caps, 12 Six Nations campaigns, a career forged in the teeth of opposition defence, a body honed by countless gym reps, and a mind defined by determination and perfectionism.

From BBC

Instead, Kutcher says the real driver in perfectionism is the "everyone being on camera all the time".

From BBC

“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

“I work with a lot of high-power, girl-boss types, eldest daughters who are running themselves into the ground, struggling with perfectionism. So my focus is on helping folks recover from perfectionism,” she said.

From Los Angeles Times