definitions

punctual

[ puhngk-choo-uh l ]
/ ˈpʌŋk tʃu əl /
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SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR punctual ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective

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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RELATED WORDS

rapidly, swiftly, speedily, quickly, directly, hastily, instantly, expeditiously, routinely, systematically, commonly, faithfully, repeatedly, usually, frequently, automatically, appropriately, correctly, suitably, deservedly

Nearby words

punctatim, punctation, punctiform, punctilio, punctilious, punctual, punctuality, punctually, punctuate, punctuated equilibrium, punctuation

Origin of punctual

1350–1400; Middle English < Medieval Latin pūnctuālis of a point, equivalent to Latin pūnctu(s) a point, a pricking (pung(ere) to prick + -tus suffix of v. action) + -ālis -al1; see pungent

Related forms

Can be confused

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

Examples from the Web for punctually

British Dictionary definitions for punctually

punctual

/ (ˈpʌŋktjʊəl) /

adjective

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

Derived Forms

punctuality, nounpunctually, adverb

Word Origin for punctual

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 Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012