intact

adjective

in·​tact in-ˈtakt 

1

: untouched especially by anything that harms or diminishes : entire, uninjured

2

of a living body or its parts : having no relevant component removed or destroyed:

a

: physically virginal

b

: not castrated

intactness

in-ˈtak(t)-nəs 

noun

Synonyms

• entire
• whole
• complete
• full
• perfect
• comprehensive

Choose the Right Synonym for intact

perfect, whole, entire, intact mean not lacking or faulty in any particular.

perfect implies the soundness and the excellence of every part, element, or quality of a thing frequently as an unattainable or theoretical state.

a perfect set of teeth

whole suggests a completeness or perfection that can be sought, gained, or regained.

felt like a whole person again after vacation

entire implies perfection deriving from integrity, soundness, or completeness of a thing.

the entire Beethoven corpus

intact implies retention of perfection of a thing in its natural or original state.

the boat survived the storm intact

Examples of intact in a Sentence

The house survived the war intact.

After 25 years, their friendship remained intact.

Recent Examples on the Web

Odenkirk had to fight to keep his game face intact each night, listening to McKean deliver one seemingly straightforward dramatic line. —Bryan Alexander, USA Today, 14 Aug. 2025

Initial litigation is expected to proceed in the coming months, with the trust arrangement intended to keep the grants intact until the court resolves the dispute. —Theo Burman, MSNBC Newsweek, 14 Aug. 2025

That level of ownership and responsiveness restored trust and kept the relationship intact. —Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 12 Aug. 2025

But over the past month or so, Dell has kept a pretty generous discount intact. —Luke Larsen, Wired News, 11 Aug. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English intacte, from Latin intactus, from in- + tactus, past participle of tangere to touch — more at tangent entry 2

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for intact

• abstract
• attacked
• attract
• contact
• contract
• detract
• distract
• enact
• exact
• extract
• hijacked
• impact

Kids Definition

intact

adjective

in·​tact in-ˈtakt 

: untouched especially by anything that harms : not damaged or lessened

Medical Definition

intact

adjective

in·​tact in-ˈtakt 

: physically and functionally complete

The sense of smell was intact.

intact cell membranes

specifically, of an animal : not castrated

intactness noun