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.
This requires a meticulous approach to planning, trying to group together grounds in a similar area of the country with different kick-off times weeks or months in advance.
From BBC • Apr. 7, 2026
James was whip-smart, meticulous in manner and dress, effortlessly charming.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 31, 2026
The meticulous sonic approach brings to mind some of the lush ’80s work from the German jazz and experimental label ECM, whose motto is “The Most Beautiful Sound Next to Silence.”
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 24, 2026
What Donald had to weigh up was whether he had enough energy to go through another 18 months of meticulous research, preparation and implementation.
From BBC • Mar. 4, 2026
Tru showed them three separate sets: a small auditorium, a laboratory, and a ballroom, each of which was a meticulous copy of a room in the Paris headquarters of Sinclair Scientifica.
From "City Spies" by James Ponti
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.
