scrupulous

[skroo-pyuh-luhs]

See more synonyms for scrupulous on Thesaurus.com

adjective

having scruples, or moral or ethical standards; having or showing a strict regard for what one considers right; principled: scrupulous about defending human rights.
punctiliously or minutely careful, precise, or exact: a scrupulous attention to detail in their performance.

Origin of scrupulous

First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English word from Latin word scrūpulōsus. See scruple, -ous

Related formsscru·pu·los·i·ty

[skroo-pyuh-los-i-tee] /ˌskru pyəˈlɒs ɪ ti/, scru·pu·lous·ness, nounscru·pu·lous·ly, adverbhy·per·scru·pu·los·i·ty, nounhy·per·scru·pu·lous, adjectivehy·per·scru·pu·lous·ly, adverbhy·per·scru·pu·lous·ness, nounun·der·scru·pu·lous, adjectiveun·der·scru·pu·lous·ly, adverb

Synonyms for scrupulous

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1. conscientious, cautious, careful, circumspect. 2. exacting, rigorous. 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.

Antonyms for scrupulous

2. careless.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Related Words for scrupulously

carefully, meticulously, accurately, precisely, devotedly, flawlessly, punctiliously

Examples from the Web for scrupulously

Contemporary Examples of scrupulously

In the convention, Washington scrupulously followed the gag rule, so his thoughts on the proceedings are somewhat unknown.
Washington’s Wheeler-Dealer Patriotism
William O’Connor
October 31, 2014
Objects are scrupulously labeled by name, manufacturer, and material.
Seduced by Art & Beauty ‘At the House of Mr X’
Chloë Ashby
January 17, 2014
The Hippocratic injunction to “first, do no harm,” should be scrupulously respected.
The U.S.’s ‘Yadda, Yadda, Yadda’ Doctrine for Syria
Jeremy Shapiro
September 15, 2013
Like his predecessors, Thein Sein was a career army officer, but unlike many others, it was said, he was scrupulously honest.
Aung San Suu Kyi Faces Test After Burma Election Triumph
Peter Popham
April 2, 2012
“Maarten is a fictional character, but his life intersects with real events—and they are scrupulously accurate,” Mason explained.
Richard Mason on New Novel History of a Pleasure Seeker
Jane Ciabattari
February 15, 2012

Historical Examples of scrupulously

Gilder scrupulously followed the directions of the Police Inspector.
Within the Law
Marvin Dana
I was scrupulously careful not to do so, for I did imagine something like what has happened.
Questionable Shapes
William Dean Howells
Debt he looked upon as the road to ruin, and he scrupulously shunned it.
Cleveland Past and Present
Maurice Joblin
But the end is so desirable that the means must not be too scrupulously considered.
Roden's Corner
Henry Seton Merriman
Dwellings will be artistic, æsthetic and scrupulously clean.
The Sexual Question
August Forel

British Dictionary definitions for scrupulously

scrupulous

adjective

characterized by careful observation of what is morally right
very careful or precise

Derived Formsscrupulously, adverbscrupulousness, noun

Word Origin for scrupulous

C15: from Latin scrūpulōsus punctilious

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

Word Origin and History for scrupulously

scrupulous

adj.

mid-15c., from Anglo-French scrupulus, Middle French scrupuleux, or directly from Latin scrupulosus, from scrupulus (see scruple). Related: Scrupulously; scrupulousness.