perfectionist
Americannoun
-
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
-
a person who believes the doctrine of perfectionism
adjective
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
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
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
One Crazy Summer
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Spooked
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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.
See Examples For:
Are these three subtitle terms — codependent, perfectionist, people-pleasing — interchangeable or interlinked?
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 15, 2026
A perfectionist, obsessive about detail, and as committed to his craft as anyone in the professional era.
From BBC ● May 5, 2026
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
Vonetta was a perfectionist, but only about certain things.
From "One Crazy Summer" by Rita Williams-Garcia
It's an anxiety shared by many perfectionists, says health psychologist Dr Sula Windgassen.
From BBC ● Nov. 19, 2025
We have this great crew that’s been with us for so long, and they’re all perfectionists, and they would do things a million times.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 5, 2025
That intrinsic level of care is present in “Hard Truths,” but without the fussiness that often feels present in films made by notorious perfectionists.
From Salon ● Jan. 10, 2025
Clerks are type-A perfectionists, and all they want to do is do the job and do it right.
From Slate ● Jun. 6, 2024
“And it’s a temptation for any intelligent person, and especially for perfectionists such as the ancients and ourselves, to try to murder the primitive, emotive, appetitive self. But that is a mistake.”
From "The Secret History" by Donna Tartt
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.
