Intact means complete and undamaged, with all parts still together and working as they should. When something remains intact, nothing has been broken, removed, or harmed.

After a storm, you might check if your bicycle is still intact: wheels attached, chain working, seat secure. An archaeologist who discovers an intact clay pot from ancient Rome celebrates because it hasn't been chipped or cracked over thousands of years. When someone says “we arrived with our dignity intact,” they mean they came through a difficult situation without being embarrassed or diminished.

The word suggests wholeness and preservation. A sandwich that survives your backpack intact still has all its ingredients properly arranged. A friendship that remains intact after an argument is still strong and complete. Scientists study intact fossils because they reveal more than broken fragments ever could.

Notice that intact often appears when something could have been damaged but wasn't. A package arriving intact means it survived the journey without harm. When doctors say an organ is intact, they mean it's undamaged and functioning normally. The opposite of intact is broken, damaged, or fragmented: things missing pieces or no longer whole.