Meanings
nounperfectionist (plural perfectionists)
plural perfectionists
- archaichuman sciencesSomeone who thinks that religious or moral perfection can be attained in this life.First known use 17th c.
I have read in some of our perfectionists enough to make a better man than myself either run into madness or despair about the grace you mention […].
1748, [Samuel Richardson], “Letter CXVI”, in Clarissa. Or, The History of a Young Lady: […], volume (please specify |volume=I to VII), London: […] S[amuel] Richardson; [a]nd sold by John Osborn, […], →OCLC - UShistoricalOne of the Bible Communists or Free-lovers, a small American sect founded by J. H. Noyes (1811-86), which settled at Oneida in 1848, holding that the gospel if accepted secures freedom from sin.First known use 19th c.
adjectiveperfectionist (comparative more perfectionist, superlative most perfectionist)
comparative more perfectionist · superlative most perfectionist
- Demanding perfection; being a perfectionist; imposing overly high standards.
perfectionistic parents
1 more example
For quotations using this term, see Citations:perfectionist.
- human sciencesInclined or related to perfectionism.
Origin
Translations
Arabic كَمَالِيّ
- كَمَالِيّ (kamāliyy)inclined or related to perfectionism
Catalan perfeccionista, perfeccionista
- perfeccionistaperson who does not settle for anything that is not perfect
- perfeccionistainclined or related to perfectionism
Chinese Mandarin 完美主義者 /完美主义者
- 完美主義者 /完美主义者 (wánměi zhǔyì zhě)person who does not settle for anything that is not perfect
Czech perfekcionista, perfekcionistka
- perfekcionistaperson who does not settle for anything that is not perfect
- perfekcionistkaperson who does not settle for anything that is not perfect
- perfekcionistickýinclined or related to perfectionism
Danish perfektionist, perfektionistisk
- perfektionistperson who does not settle for anything that is not perfect
- perfektionistiskinclined or related to perfectionism
Dutch perfectionist, perfectioniste
- perfectionistperson who does not settle for anything that is not perfect
- perfectionisteperson who does not settle for anything that is not perfect
- perfectionistischinclined or related to perfectionism
Estonian perfektsionist, täiuslikkuseihaleja
- perfektsionistperson who does not settle for anything that is not perfect
- täiuslikkuseihalejaperson who does not settle for anything that is not perfect
Finnish perfektionisti, perfektionistinen
- perfektionistiperson who does not settle for anything that is not perfect
- perfektionistineninclined or related to perfectionism
French perfectionniste, perfectionniste
- perfectionnisteperson who does not settle for anything that is not perfect
- perfectionnisteinclined or related to perfectionism
German Perfektionist, Perfektionistin
- Perfektionistperson who does not settle for anything that is not perfect
- Perfektionistinperson who does not settle for anything that is not perfect
- perfektionistischinclined or related to perfectionism
Greek τελειομανής, τελειοθήρας
- τελειομανής (teleiomanís)person who does not settle for anything that is not perfect
- τελειοθήρας (teleiothíras)person who does not settle for anything that is not perfect
Hungarian maximalista, maximalista
- maximalistaperson who does not settle for anything that is not perfect
- maximalistainclined or related to perfectionism
Icelandic fullkomnunarsinni
- fullkomnunarsinniperson who does not settle for anything that is not perfect
Italian perfezionista, perfezionista
- perfezionistaperson who does not settle for anything that is not perfect
- perfezionistainclined or related to perfectionism
- perfezionisticoinclined or related to perfectionism
Japanese 完全主義者, 完璧主義者
- 完全主義者 (kanzenshugisha)person who does not settle for anything that is not perfect
- 完璧主義者 (kanpekishugisha)person who does not settle for anything that is not perfect
Korean 완벽주의자
- 완벽주의자 (wanbyeokjuuija)person who does not settle for anything that is not perfect
Norwegian Bokmål perfeksjonist
- perfeksjonistperson who does not settle for anything that is not perfect
Polish perfekcjonista, perfekcjonistka
- perfekcjonistaperson who does not settle for anything that is not perfect
- perfekcjonistkaperson who does not settle for anything that is not perfect
- perfekcjonistycznyinclined or related to perfectionism
Portuguese perfeccionista, perfeccionista
- perfeccionistaperson who does not settle for anything that is not perfect
- perfeccionistainclined or related to perfectionism
Romanian perfecționist, perfecționistă
- perfecționistperson who does not settle for anything that is not perfect
- perfecționistăperson who does not settle for anything that is not perfect
- perfecționistinclined or related to perfectionism
Russian перфекциони́ст, перфекциони́стка
- перфекциони́ст (perfekcioníst)person who does not settle for anything that is not perfect
- перфекциони́стка (perfekcionístka)person who does not settle for anything that is not perfect
- перфекциони́стский (perfekcionístskij)inclined or related to perfectionism
Slovak perfekcionista, perfekcionistka
- perfekcionistaperson who does not settle for anything that is not perfect
- perfekcionistkaperson who does not settle for anything that is not perfect
Spanish perfeccionista, perfeccionista
- perfeccionistaperson who does not settle for anything that is not perfect
- perfeccionistainclined or related to perfectionism
Swedish perfektionist
- perfektionistperson who does not settle for anything that is not perfect
Tagalog perpeksiyonista
- perpeksiyonistaperson who does not settle for anything that is not perfect
Turkish mükemmeliyetçi
- mükemmeliyetçiperson who does not settle for anything that is not perfect
Ukrainian перфекціоні́ст, перфекціоні́стка
- перфекціоні́ст (perfekcioníst)person who does not settle for anything that is not perfect
- перфекціоні́стка (perfekcionístka)person who does not settle for anything that is not perfect
Cite this entry
APA
perfectionist. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/perfectionist
MLA
“perfectionist.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/perfectionist. Accessed November 3, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “perfectionist,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/perfectionist.
Source: perfectionist on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.