immaculate

American  

[ih-mak-yuh-lit] / ɪˈmæk yə lɪt /

adjective

1. free from spot or stain; spotlessly clean.

   immaculate linen.

2. free from moral blemish or impurity; pure; undefiled.

   Synonyms:

   unexceptionable, unimpeachable, blameless, irreproachable

3. free from fault or flaw; free from errors.

   an immaculate text.

4. Biology. having no spots or colored marks; unicolor.

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immaculate British  

/ ɪˈmækjʊlɪt /

adjective

1. completely clean; extremely tidy

   his clothes were immaculate

2. completely flawless, etc

   an immaculate rendering of the symphony

3. morally pure; free from sin or corruption

4. biology of only one colour, with no spots or markings

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Other Word Forms

• immaculacy noun
• immaculately adverb
• immaculateness noun
• unimmaculate adjective
• unimmaculately adverb
• unimmaculateness noun

Etymology

Origin of immaculate

First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English, from Latin immaculātus “unspotted”; equivalent to im- ² + maculate

Explanation

Immaculate means spotless, pure, and clean as fresh snow on a far-off mountain. Only obsessive cleaners can keep immaculate homes, but it’s a goal we can strive for, like that far-off mountain. Immaculate literally means without a spot or a stain. We can use immaculate to describe physical things, like bathrooms or kitchens. But we also use the word metaphorically to describe honor or purity — in the Catholic church, being immaculate means being "free from sin," like the Virgin Mary. Or someone with a pure, exact singing voice could be described as having immaculate pitch. If your home team plays a perfect game, you could say their performance was immaculate.

Example Sentences

Writers and painters often symbolized the Virgin Mary’s immaculate purity by placing her within a hedge.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 21, 2026

Once again, it was 28-year-old Weston who, after breaking the track record in all four runs of the individual event, produced an immaculate run to turn it into a Super Sunday for GB.

From BBC • Feb. 15, 2026

On the catwalk and in his own life, Valentino exuded luxury down to the last detail of his immaculate hairdo and caramel tan, often photographed with multiple pug dogs at his side.

From Barron's • Jan. 19, 2026

The women, fresh off a photo shoot and still immaculate in their off-white designer wear, dig in.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 9, 2025

I spent several hours on the typing, destroying copy after copy until I had completed one that was immaculate, carefully phrased and most respectful.

From "Invisible Man" by Ralph Ellison

Related Words

• bright
• exquisite
• flawless
• impeccable
• neat
• snowy
• spotless