perfectionist
Meaning
a person who refuses to accept any standard short of perfection.
a person who believes that moral, religious, or other perfection is attainable.
Structure
Usage
she is such a perfectionist that she spent hours aligning the text on the poster.
his reputation as a perfectionist can make collaborating with him quite demanding.
the director's perfectionist approach resulted in a visually stunning but extremely expensive film.
Etymology
the word 'perfectionist' is built upon the latin foundation 'perfectus', the past participle of 'perficere' meaning 'to complete' or 'to finish thoroughly', from 'per-' (thoroughly) and 'facere' (to do/make). the suffix '-ion' transforms the adjective into the abstract noun 'perfection', denoting the state of being complete or flawless. finally, the agent suffix '-ist', of greek origin but thoroughly latinized, attaches to form a noun specifying a person who pursues or advocates for that state. thus, the term's literal logic evolves from the ancient concept of a "thoroughly made thing" to an abstract ideal, and finally to a person dedicated to achieving that ideal.
Analysis
perfect: from latin 'perfectus' (completed, excellent), acting as the core adjective/verb root. ion: from latin '-io' (noun-forming suffix indicating action or state), acting as a noun suffix. ist: from greek '-istes' (agent suffix), via latin '-ista', acting as a suffix denoting a person who practices or is concerned with something.