Definition

1. Adjective:
   • Not damaged or impaired in any way; complete and whole: Describes something that remains in its original, undamaged condition, with no parts missing or broken.
   • Not castrated or spayed; sexually competent: Used specifically for domestic animals, indicating they have not been neutered.
   • Having the hymen unbroken; virginal: An archaic or formal term, typically used to describe a woman or girl.
   • Entire and unimpaired; constituting the full, original amount or extent: Emphasizes the wholeness and integrity of an entity, often in a figurative sense.

Usage Examples

• General Meaning (Undamaged):
  • Despite the earthquake, the ancient statue remained intact.
  • The package arrived with its seal still intact.
• Regarding Animals:
  • The farmer kept an intact bull for breeding purposes.
• Figurative/Formal Use:
  • The team's morale stayed intact after the difficult loss.
  • Her reputation emerged from the scandal intact.

Advanced Usage

• "Leave intact": To deliberately not change or damage something.
  • The archaeologists were careful to leave the site intact.
• "Keep intact": To preserve the wholeness or integrity of something.
  • The treaty was designed to keep the borders intact.

Variants and Related Words

• Intactness (noun): The state or quality of being intact.
  • The intactness of the manuscript was remarkable.
• Integral (adjective): Necessary to make a whole complete; essential or fundamental. (Shares the "whole, undivided" sense).
  • Memory is an integral part of the learning process.

Synonyms

• Whole: In an unbroken or undamaged state.
• Unharmed: Not injured or damaged.
• Undamaged: Not harmed or impaired.
• Entire: With no part left out; whole.
• Unimpaired: Not weakened or damaged.

Antonyms

• Damaged: Harmed or injured.
• Broken: Separated into pieces; fractured.
• Impaired: Weakened or damaged.
• Fragmentary: Consisting of small, disconnected parts.

Related Phrases and Idioms

• "Escape intact": To emerge from a dangerous or difficult situation without harm or damage.
  • Miraculously, all passengers escaped the crash intact.
• "With dignity intact": Having maintained one's self-respect despite challenges.
  • He resigned from his position with his dignity intact.

Adjective

1. undamaged in any way
   • the vase remained intact despit rough handling
2. (used of domestic animals) sexually competent
   • an entire horse
3. (of a woman) having the hymen unbroken
   • she was intact, virginal
4. constituting the undiminished entirety; lacking nothing essential especially not damaged
   • a local motion keepeth bodies integral- Bacon
   • was able to keep the collection entire during his lifetime
   • fought to keep the union intact