punctual
[puhngk-choo-uh l]
- strictly observant of an appointed or regular time; not late; prompt.
- made, occurring, etc., at the scheduled or proper time: punctual payment.
- pertaining to or of the nature of a point.
- punctilious.
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Origin of punctual
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018
Related Words
expeditiousdependableaccuratecarefulconscientiousconstantearlyexactfussyheedfulmeticulouspainstakingparticularperiodicprecisepromptpunctiliousquickreadyrecurrentExamples from the Web for punctual
Contemporary Examples
Deen is not only punctual, but also professionally courteous to his former co-stars.
On the day of the shoot, the crew and I arrived early—Mrs. Cleaver would have wanted us to be punctual!
Historical Examples
Thompson came early on the following day, punctual to his appointment.
She lived by habit, by the punctual fulfillment of her expectation.
Life and Death of Harriett FreanMay Sinclair
You may be punctual in that to half a second on the clock, and yet be Bankrupt.
Life And Adventures Of Martin ChuzzlewitCharles Dickens
He will find me punctual and vigilant, and anxious to do what is right.
Life And Adventures Of Martin ChuzzlewitCharles Dickens
To be punctual does not mean to be too early, but to be just early enough.
punctual
- arriving or taking place at an arranged time; prompt
- (of a person) having the characteristic of always keeping to arranged times, as for appointments, meetings, etc
- obsolete precise; exact; apposite
- maths consisting of or confined to a point in space
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Word Origin
C14: from Medieval Latin punctuālis concerning detail, from Latin punctum point
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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Word Origin and History for punctual
adj.
c.1400, from Medieval Latin punctualis, from Latin punctus "a pricking" (see point (n.)). Originally "having a sharp point; of the nature of a point;" meaning "prompt" first recorded 1670s, from notion of "insisting on fine points." Related: Punctually.
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Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper