punctilious

[ puhngk-til-ee-uhs ]

/ pʌŋkˈtɪl i əs /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR punctilious ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective

extremely attentive to punctilios; strict or exact in the observance of the formalities or amenities of conduct or actions.

RELATED WORDS

Nearby words

Origin of punctilious

First recorded in 1625–35; punctili(o) + -ous

SYNONYMS FOR punctilious

precise, demanding; careful, conscientious. See scrupulous.

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR punctilious ON THESAURUS.COM

ANTONYMS FOR punctilious

careless.

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Related forms

punc·til·i·ous·ly, adverbpunc·til·i·ous·ness, nounun·punc·til·i·ous, adjectiveun·punc·til·i·ous·ly, adverb

un·punc·til·i·ous·ness, noun

Can be confusedpunctilious punctual

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

Examples from the Web for punctilious

The Tory revolutionary was so punctilious and respectful of her monarch it was almost embarrassing.
Margaret Thatcher and Queen Elizabeth’s Complicated Relationship|Andrew Marr|April 8, 2013|DAILY BEAST
Denis Thatcher got on well with the Queen Mother, enjoyed a drink as much as she did, and was punctilious about royal protocol.
Margaret Thatcher and Queen Elizabeth’s Complicated Relationship|Andrew Marr|April 8, 2013|DAILY BEAST
A courteous, well-bred gentleman, my boy—most punctilious about all his obligations and very honest about his failings.
Kennedy Square|F. Hopkinson Smith
Let the faith of the States, corporations, and individuals already pledged be kept with the most punctilious regard.
A Compilation of the Messages and Papers of the Presidents|James D. Richardson

The character of President Pierce was that of a punctilious gentleman.
The Middle Period 1817-1858|John William Burgess
He finished by becoming a punctilious practitioner of Parliamentary forms, a stickler for the minutest observation of order.
The Strand Magazine, Volume V, Issue 27, March 1893|Various
Oh, of course, our Right Honourable is too punctilious for that!
My Novel, Complete|Edward Bulwer-Lytton

British Dictionary definitions for punctilious

punctilious

/ (pʌŋkˈtɪlɪəs) /

adjective

paying scrupulous attention to correctness in etiquette

attentive to detail

Derived Formspunctiliously, adverbpunctiliousness, noun

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

Word Origin and History for punctilious

punctilious

adj.

1630s, probably from Italian puntiglioso, from puntiglio "fine point," from Latin punctum "prick" (see point (n.)). Related: Punctiliously; punctiliousness.