perfectionism

per·fec·tio·ni·sm
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UK/pəˈfɛk.ʃ(ə).nɪ.z(ə)m/US/pɚˈfɛk.ʃə.nɪ.zm̩/

noun

An unwillingness to settle for anything less than perfection.

UncommonScrabble 22
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Meanings

nounperfectionism (countable and uncountable, plural perfectionisms)

plural perfectionisms

  1. countableuncountableAn unwillingness to settle for anything less than perfection.
  2. countableuncountablehuman sciencesA belief that spiritual perfection may be achieved during life, or that it should be striven for.

Origin

From perfection + -ism.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Arabic كَمَالِيَّة
  • كَمَالِيَّة (kamāliyya)unwillingness to settle for anything less than perfection
Catalan perfeccionisme
  • perfeccionismeunwillingness to settle for anything less than perfection
Chinese Mandarin 完美主義 /完美主义
  • 完美主義 /完美主义 (wánměi zhǔyì)unwillingness to settle for anything less than perfection
Czech perfekcionismus, perfekcionizmus
  • perfekcionismusunwillingness to settle for anything less than perfection
  • perfekcionizmusunwillingness to settle for anything less than perfection
Dutch perfectionisme
  • perfectionismeunwillingness to settle for anything less than perfection
Estonian perfektsionism, täiuslikkuse taotlus
  • perfektsionismunwillingness to settle for anything less than perfection
  • täiuslikkuse taotlusunwillingness to settle for anything less than perfection
Finnish perfektionismi
  • perfektionismiunwillingness to settle for anything less than perfection
French perfectionnisme
  • perfectionnismeunwillingness to settle for anything less than perfection
German Perfektionismus
  • Perfektionismusunwillingness to settle for anything less than perfection
Greek τελειομανία, τελειοθηρία
  • τελειομανία (teleiomanía)unwillingness to settle for anything less than perfection
  • τελειοθηρία (teleiothiría)unwillingness to settle for anything less than perfection
Hebrew פֶּרְפֶקְצְיוֹנִיזְם
  • פֶּרְפֶקְצְיוֹנִיזְם (perfektzyónizem)unwillingness to settle for anything less than perfection
Hungarian maximalizmus, perfekcionizmus
  • maximalizmusunwillingness to settle for anything less than perfection
  • perfekcionizmusunwillingness to settle for anything less than perfection
Icelandic fullkomnunarárátta
  • fullkomnunaráráttaunwillingness to settle for anything less than perfection
Indonesian perfeksionisme
  • perfeksionismeunwillingness to settle for anything less than perfection
Italian perfezionismo
  • perfezionismounwillingness to settle for anything less than perfection
Japanese 完全主義, 完璧主義
  • 完全主義 (kanzenshugi)unwillingness to settle for anything less than perfection
  • 完璧主義 (kanpekishugi)unwillingness to settle for anything less than perfection
Korean 완벽주의
  • 완벽주의 (wanbyeokjuui)unwillingness to settle for anything less than perfection
Norwegian Bokmål perfeksjonism
  • perfeksjonismunwillingness to settle for anything less than perfection
Persian کمالطلبی, کمالگرایی
  • کمالطلبی (kamâl-talabi)unwillingness to settle for anything less than perfection
  • کمالگرایی (kamâl-garâyi)unwillingness to settle for anything less than perfection
  • کمالپرستی (kamâl-parasti)unwillingness to settle for anything less than perfection
Polish perfekcjonizm
  • perfekcjonizmunwillingness to settle for anything less than perfection
Portuguese perfeccionismo
  • perfeccionismounwillingness to settle for anything less than perfection
Romanian perfecționism
  • perfecționismunwillingness to settle for anything less than perfection
Russian перфекциони́зм
  • перфекциони́зм (perfekcionízm)unwillingness to settle for anything less than perfection
Slovak perfekcionizmus
  • perfekcionizmusunwillingness to settle for anything less than perfection
Spanish perfeccionismo
  • perfeccionismounwillingness to settle for anything less than perfection
Swedish perfektionism
  • perfektionismunwillingness to settle for anything less than perfection
Tagalog perpeksiyonismo
  • perpeksiyonismounwillingness to settle for anything less than perfection
Tamil செம்மைவாதம்
  • செம்மைவாதம் (cemmaivātam)unwillingness to settle for anything less than perfection
Ukrainian перфекціоні́зм
  • перфекціоні́зм (perfekcionízm)unwillingness to settle for anything less than perfection

Rhymes & wordplay

Rhymes with perfectionism

protectionism
All rhymes →
Cite this entry
APA

perfectionism. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/perfectionism

MLA

“perfectionism.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/perfectionism. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “perfectionism,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/perfectionism.

Source: perfectionism on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.