immaculate
adjective
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.”
Synonyms
Examples of immaculate in a Sentence
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
Stacey Wreathall, Travel + Leisure, 6 Apr. 2024
The image of her shrouded in an immaculate faux-fur coat while walking her dogs in over-the-knee heeled boots brings Le City bang up to date for now.
—Alice Newbold, Vogue, 2 Apr. 2024
The primary bedroom, overlooking the ocean, encompasses an entry vestibule, a spacious bedroom, ample closet space, and an immaculate bathroom lined in onyx and marble.
—Emma Reynolds, Robb Report, 1 Apr. 2024
Harrison Bader was a great signing in my opinion if only for the immaculate vibes.
—Daniel Kohn, SPIN, 27 Mar. 2024
This, she is told, is why God spared her — for immaculate conception.
—Bill Goodykoontz, The Arizona Republic, 18 Mar. 2024
An immaculate metal box built in 1931 to symbolize the future bounced around the East Coast for decades before recently landing in Palm Springs for all to see.
—Shane Reiner-Roth, Los Angeles Times, 26 Mar. 2024
The actor wore a black tank top paired with immaculate cargo pants.
—Jessica Scemama, Glamour, 25 Mar. 2024
Gazal played on the apartment’s immaculate floor with Aileen, now three months old, looking on from a car seat.
—Eliza Griswold, The New Yorker, 21 Mar. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'immaculate.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Articles Related to immaculate
Dictionary Entries Near immaculate
Cite this Entry
“Immaculate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/immaculate. Accessed 18 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
immaculate
adjective
Share