immaculate

adjective

im·​mac·​u·​late i-ˈma-kyə-lət How to pronounce immaculate (audio)
1
: spotlessly clean
an immaculate kitchen
immaculate uniforms
2
: having or containing no flaw or error
an immaculate record of service
in immaculate detail
3
: having no stain or blemish : pure
an immaculate heart
4
: having no colored spots or marks
used especially in botany and zoology
petals immaculate
immaculately adverb
immaculateness noun
… the immaculateness of scrubbed decks … William Sansom

Did you know?

You may already use the word immaculate flawlessly, but most of us have a spottier history with its antonymous counterpart, maculate, which means "marked with spots" or "impure." Both words can be traced back to macula, a Latin noun (plural maculae or maculas) that scientists still use for spots on the skin, on the wings of insects, and on the surface of celestial objects. Maculate has not marked as many pages as immaculate, but it appears occasionally, especially as an antithesis to immaculate. The pair is used, for example, by Clive James in a 2019 column in Prospect Magazine, in reference to Emily Wilson's translation of The Odyssey: “… the story sweeps along in immaculate iambic pentameter. In only one small aspect is the immaculateness maculate.”

Examples of immaculate in a Sentence

… they seemed as remote from metaphysics as their lunch bags and knapsacks. Yet weren't they all heading for those immaculate country snowfields to talk of God? Cynthia Ozick, Atlantic, May 1997
… and added to this was the fact that this Soviet Army Colonel had a service record that was as immaculate as a field of freshly fallen snow … Tom Clancy, The Cardinal of the Kremlin, (1988) 1989
I was expecting some giant to emerge, but in came a tiny, immaculate, white-haired man. Anna Russell, I'm Not Making This Up, You Know, 1985
She had an immaculate record of service. somehow managed to keep the white carpet immaculate
Recent Examples on the Web Yes, Brown’s reputation is immaculate because of her commitment to transformational leadership style and commitment to excellence. Jasmine Browley, Essence, 2 Oct. 2024 Visitors to Hershey are immediately impressed by the pristine environment, where the grounds are immaculate and the Hershey's Kisses streetlights add a whimsical touch to the festive atmosphere. Roger Sands, Forbes, 2 Oct. 2024 However, the finale wasn’t all bitchy bobs and power suits (Einbinder’s immaculate armor for her final big boss moment). Meredith Woerner, Variety, 9 Aug. 2024 The brand new, perfectly crisp notebooks beckoning with their greedy blank pages, the pencil points sharp as needles, the immaculate backpack begging for books—all of these talismans represented a feeling of possibility and transformation. Christine Pride, SELF, 25 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for immaculate 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'immaculate.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English immaculat, from Latin immaculatus, from in- + maculatus stained — more at maculate

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 3

Time Traveler
The first known use of immaculate was in the 15th century

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Dictionary Entries Near immaculate

Cite this Entry

“Immaculate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/immaculate. Accessed 13 Oct. 2024.

Kids Definition

immaculate

adjective
im·​mac·​u·​late im-ˈak-yə-lət How to pronounce immaculate (audio)
1
: having no stain or blemish : pure
an immaculate record of service
2
: perfectly clean
immaculate linen
immaculately adverb
immaculateness noun

More from Merriam-Webster on immaculate

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