punctilio

[ puhngk-til-ee-oh ]

/ pʌŋkˈtɪl iˌoʊ /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR punctilio ON THESAURUS.COM

noun, plural punc·til·i·os for 1.

a fine point, particular, or detail, as of conduct, ceremony, or procedure.

strictness or exactness in the observance of formalities or amenities.

Nearby words

punctate keratitis, punctate keratoderma, punctatim, punctation, punctiform, punctilio, punctilious, punctual, punctuality, punctuate, punctuated equilibrium

Origin of punctilio

1590–1600; alteration of Italian puntiglio < Spanish puntillo, diminutive of punto < Latin pūnctum point

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for punctilio

There was thus an artificial element in his punctilio that at times might almost raise a smile.
Memoir of Fleeming Jenkin|Robert Louis Stevenson
Punctilio, pungk-til′yo, n. a nice point in behaviour or ceremony: nicety in forms: exact observance of forms.
Chambers's Twentieth Century Dictionary (part 3 of 4: N-R)|Various
Mr. Fenellan repeated, in a pause, 'Punctilio,' and not emphatically.
One of Our Conquerors, Complete|George Meredith
My superintendents are indulgent; but to a punctilio they demand a due observance of decorum and propriety of conduct.
The Romance of Old New England Rooftrees|Mary Caroline Crawford

But I will not stand on punctilio when it is a question of trying to save a Penreath of Twelvetrees from the gallows.
The Shrieking Pit|Arthur J. Rees

British Dictionary definitions for punctilio

punctilio

/ (pʌŋkˈtɪlɪˌəʊ) /

noun plural -os

strict attention to minute points of etiquette

a petty formality or fine point of etiquette

Word Origin for punctilio

C16: from Italian puntiglio small point, from punto point, from Latin punctum point

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012