Words / C2

i-MAK-y-uh-l-uh-t/ɪˈmækjələt/

Immaculate means perfectly clean, or without fault: an immaculate room, immaculate timing. Spotless is everyday for dirt; flawless is a cousin. Impeccable (this batch) is more about behaviour, taste, or performance than dust. The Immaculate Conception is a separate religious phrase. Do not call a tidy cover slide immaculate if the appendix is empty.

Meaning

Perfectly clean, or without any fault.

Examples

• “An immaculate slide deck still hid a missing date in the appendix.”
• “Spotless is everyday. Impeccable manners (this batch) are social polish. Maculate is rare for stained. A clean room can be immaculate; a clean lie in the n cannot.”

Good to know

Spotless; faultless. Everyday: spotless. Cousin: impeccable (conduct/taste). A tidy slide is not a complete paper.

Near in meaning

spotless

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