punctual

American  

[puhngk-choo-uhl] / ˈpʌŋk tʃu əl /

adjective

1. strictly observant of an appointed or regular time; not late; prompt.

2. made, occurring, etc., at the scheduled or proper time.

   punctual payment.

3. pertaining to or of the nature of a point.

4. punctilious.

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punctual British  

/ ˈpʌŋktjʊəl /

adjective

1. arriving or taking place at an arranged time; prompt

2. (of a person) having the characteristic of always keeping to arranged times, as for appointments, meetings, etc

3. obsolete precise; exact; apposite

4. maths consisting of or confined to a point in space

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Other Word Forms

• nonpunctual adjective
• nonpunctually adverb
• nonpunctualness noun
• punctuality noun
• punctually adverb
• punctualness noun
• unpunctual adjective
• unpunctually adverb
• unpunctualness noun

Etymology

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 -al ¹; pungent

Example Sentences

Williamson plays the ball so late, he makes a broken clock seem punctual.

From BBC

He faced a few heated discussions and punctual boos — yet he was mostly welcomed with respect, sometimes applause and thank-you’s.

From Seattle Times

The panel noted Ms Littlehales had good attendance, was punctual and had no performance issues.

From BBC

Always somewhat nervously punctual, I have now advanced to the point where I prefer to get to the airport a solid three hours early, allowing for a meal, cocktail and some uninterrupted reading time.

From New York Times

And I got there with time to spare, for when it clicks, the subway makes even procrastinators punctual.

From New York Times

Related Words

• dependable
• expeditious