scrupulously

American  

[skroo-pyuh-luhs-lee] / ˈskru pyə ləs li /

adverb

1. in a way that shows strict regard for moral standards or principles.

   He has a reputation as a consistently hardworking and scrupulously honest and fair newspaperman.

2. in a way that shows care or precision.

   The authors have scrupulously researched the culinary culture of the early 18th century.

---

Other Word Forms

• hyperscrupulously adverb
• underscrupulously adverb

Etymology

Origin of scrupulously

scrupulous ( def. ) + -ly

Explanation

To do something scrupulously is to do it very carefully. It's the opposite of doing something sloppily. To be scrupulous is to be careful, exact, and conscientious, so to do something scrupulously is to give it close attention and to strive for perfection. Diligent workers do their jobs scrupulously. A teacher who provides students with extra tutoring is behaving scrupulously. An accountant who does your taxes scrupulously is not likely to make a mistake. The Latin root word is scrupulus, literally "a small, sharp stone," and figuratively meaning "uneasiness or pricking of conscience."

Example Sentences

“He was a scrupulously superficial man, believing so fervently in the magic of surfaces that his fervor almost passed for profundity,” Mr. Junod writes.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 5, 2026

The CNE called for "patience" as it finishes the count delayed by technical difficulties, and has vowed the end result will "scrupulously respect the popular will."

From Barron's • Dec. 3, 2025

True to their stereotype, Canadians have remained scrupulously polite to the American expats interviewed for this story, but there have been some awkward moments.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 9, 2025

Many seemed scrupulously cared for, but in others a rotted half-sprung mattress would block an upper floor window, with trash strewn in the yard.

From Salon • Nov. 2, 2024

McCandless, I came to believe with increasing conviction, scrupulously steered clear of the reportedly toxic H. mackenzii and never ate its seeds or any other part of the plant.

From "Into the Wild" by Jon Krakauer

Related Words

• carefully
• meticulously