meticulous
Americanadjective
Related Words
See painstaking.
Other Word Forms
- meticulosity noun
- meticulously adverb
- meticulousness noun
- unmeticulous adjective
- unmeticulousness noun
Etymology
Origin of meticulous
First recorded in 1525–35; from Latin metīculōsus “full of fear, fearful,” equivalent to metī- for metū- (stem of metus “fear”) + -culōsus, extracted from perīculōsus “dangerous” ( perilous )
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 less scrupulous voices also invade Beverly’s meticulous household like bulls in a suburban china shop.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 25, 2026
Despite their mainstream popularity, these groups were critically maligned—derided as “corporate rock” for their songs’ meticulous production.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 5, 2026
This is a film about how the mere structure of something can conjure intense admiration, and Kramer dextrously reflects that idea in every meticulous moment.
From Salon • Feb. 18, 2026
He was meticulous in ordering well-made clothes, and a “chariot” with some gilding wouldn’t be too excessive, he thought.
From Slate • Feb. 16, 2026
Peering out the windshield, she can see that it’s in meticulous shape—no evidence of peeling or rot, which means it must have been recently painted.
From "Orphan Train" by Christina Baker Kline
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.
