immaculate

adjective

im·mac·u·late i-ˈma-kyə-lət

Synonyms of immaculate next

: spotlessly clean

an immaculate kitchen

immaculate uniforms

: having or containing no flaw or error

an immaculate record of service

in immaculate detail

: having no stain or blemish : pure

an immaculate heart

: 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

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Upon their arrival in Turkey, patients will experience immaculate amenities, including airport transfers, detailed consultations with knowledgeable professionals, and travel accommodations. —

Kyle J. Russell, Journal Sentinel, 21 Nov. 2024 Noa Cohen stars in the coming-of-age story as the title character, who is shunned after her immaculate conception and forced into hiding with husband Joseph (Ido Tako). —

Brian Truitt, USA TODAY, 13 Nov. 2024 Much of the success is owed to Russell’s immaculate lead performance, deftly blending momentous intimations via the smallest gestures, before turning on a dime to deliver big, boisterous, off-the-cuff outbursts. —

Ben Travers, IndieWire, 30 Oct. 2024 The Crown stands out for its immaculate attention to detail and grandeur — something that aligns with our storytelling ethos at Bhansali Productions. —

Scott Roxborough, The Hollywood Reporter, 21 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for immaculate