Dictionary.com

punctual

[ puhngk-choo-uhl ]
/ ˈpʌŋk tʃu əl /
Save This Word!
See synonyms for: punctual / punctually 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.
QUIZ
GOOSES. GEESES. I WANT THIS QUIZ ON PLURAL NOUNS!
Test how much you really know about regular and irregular plural nouns with this quiz.
Question 1 of 9
Which of the following nouns has an irregular plural form?
cactus
wallet
goat
party
TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

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

OTHER WORDS FROM punctual

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH punctual

punctilious, punctual
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

Words related to punctual

dependable, expeditious, accurate, careful, conscientious, conscionable, constant, cyclic, early, exact, fussy, heedful, in good time, meticulous, on schedule, on the button, on the dot, on the nose, painstaking, particular

How to use punctual in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for punctual

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 of punctual

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
FEEDBACK