scrupulous

[ skroo-pyuh-luhs ]
See synonyms for: scrupulousscrupulouslyscrupulousness on Thesaurus.com

adjective
  1. having scruples, or moral or ethical standards; having or showing a strict regard for what one considers right; principled: scrupulous about defending human rights.

  2. punctiliously or minutely careful, precise, or exact: a scrupulous attention to detail in their performance.

Origin of scrupulous

1
First recorded in 1400–50; a late Middle English word from Latin scrūpulōsus; see scruple, -ous

synonym study For scrupulous

2. Scrupulous, punctilious imply abiding exactly by rules. Scrupulous implies conscientious carefulness in attending to details: scrupulous attention to details. Punctilious suggests strictness, preciseness, and rigidity, especially in observance of social conventions.

Other words for scrupulous

Opposites for scrupulous

Other words from scrupulous

  • scru·pu·los·i·ty [skroo-pyuh-los-i-tee], /ˌskru pyəˈlɒs ɪ ti/, scru·pu·lous·ness, noun
  • scru·pu·lous·ly, adverb
  • hy·per·scru·pu·los·i·ty, noun
  • hy·per·scru·pu·lous, adjective
  • hy·per·scru·pu·lous·ness, noun
  • un·der·scru·pu·lous, adjective

Words Nearby scrupulous

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use scrupulous in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for scrupulous

scrupulous

/ (ˈskruːpjʊləs) /


adjective
  1. characterized by careful observation of what is morally right

  2. very careful or precise

Origin of scrupulous

1
C15: from Latin scrūpulōsus punctilious

Derived forms of scrupulous

  • scrupulously, adverb
  • scrupulousness, 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