intact
- 01 B2 Upper Intermediate
not damaged or broken; remaining in one piece after an accident or a long time.
remaining whole, entire, or undiminished; not damaged or altered by any external force.
Simple“Most of the house was destroyed in the fire, but the kitchen remained intact.”
In context“Archaeologists were astonished to find the burial chamber completely intact, with the seals on the stone doors still unbroken after three millennia.”
- 02 C1 Advanced
used to describe a male animal that has not been operated on to prevent it from having babies.
referring to a male animal that has not undergone orchidectomy or castration.
Simple“The farmer kept the intact males in a separate field from the rest of the herd.”
In context“The veterinary clinic charges a higher fee for boarding intact male dogs due to the additional management required to prevent aggressive behaviour.”
UsageCommonly used in veterinary medicine and animal husbandry.
- 03 C1 Advanced
used to describe a male who still has his foreskin.
referring to a male who has not undergone circumcision.
Simple“The doctor noted that the infant was intact during the routine check-up.”
In context“Medical discussions regarding neonatal care often use the term intact to describe the natural state of the anatomy prior to any surgical intervention.”
SynonymsuncircumcisedAntonyms
“The decision leaves intact the $5m civil judgment against Trump, that was returned by the jury after the two-week trial in 2023.”
“It’s rare to read a novel that can skip in and out of so many points of view and keep the different styles of narration intact.”
From Middle French intact, from Latin intact(us).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.