methodical
Americanadjective
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performed, disposed, or acting in a systematic way; systematic; orderly.
a methodical person.
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painstaking, especially slow and careful; deliberate.
adjective
Related Words
See orderly.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of methodical
First recorded in 1560–70; methodic, from Latin methodic(us) or directly from Greek methodikós; see method, -ic + -al 1
Explanation
Methodical means following a method. If you follow the same sixteen steps in the same order when you make a fire, you could be said to take a methodical approach to this activity. The idea of moving slowly and orderly through a process can at times be dismissed as bureaucratic or obsessive, but when you use the word methodical to describe it, chances are you think that it's good to follow a method. The only thing missing from a methodical approach is inspiration — dancers shouldn't be too methodical; engineers should.
Vocabulary lists containing methodical
The SAT: Words to Capture Tone, List 3
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The New SAT: Words to Capture Tone
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Words to Know Before You Defrost the Bird
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The merits docket – the ordinary process – is methodical.
From Salon • Apr. 25, 2026
The pontiff is more popular than the president—and is a methodical political operator.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 16, 2026
This requires methodical, thoughtful action on the part of policymakers.
From MarketWatch • Apr. 8, 2026
It was this methodical jigsaw of footage that allowed police to arrest McCullagh for a second time and seize his computer.
From BBC • Mar. 23, 2026
They went through their pre-game warmups with methodical, meticulous determination.
From "Friday Night Lights: A Town, A Team, And A Dream" by H.G. Bissinger
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
