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
-
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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Spooked
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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.
Emery's perfectionist streak makes his management of Villa a work of art, with work-rate, organisation and talent making for a top-class team.
From BBC • May 25, 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
"I want to win everything, I want to be a perfectionist in everything. I'm a nightmare when we play Monopoly at home," he said.
From Barron's • Feb. 14, 2026
One person hemmed in by perfectionist anxiety was invited to sing with an off-key Masli.
From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 21, 2025
He gave Rigo’s address for replies, and there were some responses, but none met his perfectionist standards, and ultimately, he nixed them all.
From "Endgame" by Frank Brady
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.
