a disposition to feel that anything less than perfect is unacceptable; "his perfectionism seemed excessive to his students"

A drive for excellence, an intrinsic motivation that through striving for perfection leads to outstanding accomplishments. This is healthy perfectionism. Perfectionism that tends to be disabling is extrinsically motivated by a belief that one is worthless in the eyes of others unless one can present oneself and one's work perfectly.

Perfectionism, in psychology, is a belief that perfection should be strived for. In its pathological form, it is a belief that anything less than perfect is unacceptable. This is often considered an unhealthy belief.

The doctrine of the Perfectionists.

The desire to execute tasks flawlessly. (see Social-emotional issues.)