perfectionism

[ per-fek-shuh-niz-uhm ]
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noun
  1. any of various doctrines holding that religious, moral, social, or political perfection is attainable.

  2. a personal standard, attitude, or philosophy that demands perfection and rejects anything less.

Origin of perfectionism

1
An Americanism dating back to 1830–40; perfection + -ism

Words Nearby perfectionism

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use perfectionism in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for perfectionism

perfectionism

/ (pəˈfɛkʃəˌnɪzəm) /


noun
  1. philosophy the doctrine that man can attain perfection in this life

  2. the demand for the highest standard of excellence

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012