Word
immaculate
Phoneticsim·mac·u·late, stress on the second syllable
US/ˌɪˈmækjuɫɪt/
UK/ɪmˈækjʊlət/
Definition
adj. perfectly clean, neat, or tidy. It can also describe something that has no mistakes at all.
adj. perfectly clean, neat, or free from flaws. Often used to describe physical spaces or abstract concepts like reputations and performances.
Examples
“Her kitchen is always immaculate.”
“The hotel staff worked tirelessly to ensure every room was in immaculate condition before the guests arrived.”
“The pianist delivered an immaculate performance, navigating the technical difficulties of the concerto without a single missed note or rhythmic hesitation.”
Examples
simple
“Her kitchen is always immaculate.”
contextual
“The hotel staff worked tirelessly to ensure every room was in immaculate condition before the guests arrived.”
complex
“The pianist delivered an immaculate performance, navigating the technical difficulties of the concerto without a single missed note or rhythmic hesitation.”
Usage
Often used predicatively after 'be' or 'keep', or attributively before nouns like 'condition', 'record', or 'reputation'.
Real-World Examples
“As the final whistle blew Bruno Guimarães wore a mischievous smile, Enzo Le Fée was a study in dejection and Arsenal’s immaculate start to the season remained unblemished.” “Summed up in a sentence With guests including Robert Glasper, Parlato turns her immaculate phrasing to soft funk, dancefloor numbers and interpretations of Stevie Wonder and Tears for Fears.” “Meanwhile Miss Savory, Mrs Smith or Mrs Morgan, picked for being unfidgety and sneezeless, would take everything down in immaculate Pitman shorthand.” Etymology
From Late Middle English immaculat, immaculate (“blameless; flawless, spotless; specifically of the Virgin Mary: pure, undefiled”), borrowed from Latin immaculātus (“unstained”), from im- (negative prefix) + maculātus (“stained, spotted; defiled, polluted; (figurative) dishonoured”), the perfect passive participle of maculō (“to spot, stain; to defile, pollute; (figurative) to dishonour”), from macula (“a blemish, spot, stain; (figurative) blot on one’s character, fault”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European smh₂-tló-m (“wiping (?)”), from smeh₂- (“to rub; to smear”). The word displaced Middle English unwemmed (“pure, untainted”). See also -ate (adjective-forming suffix). By surface analysis, im- + macule + -ate. Cognates * Catalan immaculat * Italian immacolato, immaculato (obsolete) * Middle French immaculé (modern French immaculé) * Portuguese imaculado * Spanish inmaculado
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Domains
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.C1 AdvancedIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.7.0–8.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 5.0–5.595–113TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.945–990
- Frequency
- Frequent
- Level
- C1 · Advanced
- Updated
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englishreference.com/q/immaculate