intact

adjective

in·​tact in-ˈtakt How to pronounce intact (audio)
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 noun
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 The community of North College Hill can now breathe a sigh of relief as its fire department will seemingly remain intact following a mass resignation earlier this month. Aaron Valdez, The Enquirer, 17 Mar. 2024 Lawyers for the Legal Aid Society emphasized that the underlying consent decree guaranteeing shelter to homeless people remained intact. Luis Ferré-Sadurní, New York Times, 15 Mar. 2024 His contract was restructured a year ago as Tom Telesco and Brandon Staley — the Chargers’ former general manager and head coach, respectively — attempted to keep the top end of the roster intact to make a run at the playoffs. Jeff Miller, Los Angeles Times, 13 Mar. 2024 For Arizona, the unusual image depicted a slice of pie in which pieces of green cactus, still with the spines, were encased in a green custard like substance and a fully intact succulent garnish. The Arizona Republic, 12 Mar. 2024 At saturation, some diapers began losing their integrity and released crystals or gel beading in our lab test, but this diaper stayed fully intact, even with almost a cup of liquid in it. Chaunie Brusie, Rn, Parents, 10 Mar. 2024 What Oscar records will be broken and which ones will remain intact at the 96th Academy Awards ceremony March 10. Clayton Davis, Variety, 8 Mar. 2024 But Take Note To keep the tracks intact, parents may want to consider purchasing a Melissa & Doug Multi-Activity Table, which is sold separately. Laura Lu, Ms, Parents, 6 Mar. 2024 Keeping the program intact should be a priority, Cooper said. Calmatters, The Mercury News, 5 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'intact.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of intact was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near intact

Cite this Entry

“Intact.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/intact. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

intact

adjective
in·​tact in-ˈtakt How to pronounce intact (audio)
: untouched especially by anything that harms : not damaged or lessened

Medical Definition

intact

adjective
in·​tact in-ˈtakt How to pronounce intact (audio)
: physically and functionally complete
The sense of smell was intact.
intact cell membranes
specifically, of an animal : not castrated
intactness noun

More from Merriam-Webster on intact

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