noun
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(usually foll by for) a person who makes insistent demands
a stickler for accuracy
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a problem or puzzle
the investigation proved to be a stickler
Etymology
Origin of stickler
Explanation
A stickler is someone who insists that things are done in a certain way. Say you’re getting married and want to write your own vows, but your partner’s mother demands that you have a traditional ceremony. The mother is a stickler for tradition. Stickler has its origins in a word meaning umpire, which may allude to a stickler’s bossy nature. Difficult problems or puzzles are called sticklers. It is helpful when remembering the definition of stickler that it has the word “stick” in it. So someone who “sticks” to the rules is a stickler.
Vocabulary lists containing stickler
One of Us Is Lying
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Eats, Shoots & Leaves
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Merci Suárez Changes Gears
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Now, I’m not exactly a stickler for precise detail.
From Salon ● Aug. 12, 2026
Alison-Madueke portrayed herself in court as a role model for women, a tireless fighter against corruption, and someone who was such a stickler for the rules she was nicknamed "Madam due process".
From BBC ● Jun. 17, 2026
My father, a World War II officer and stickler for correctness, was especially proud of my medal.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 4, 2026
You seem to be a stickler for detail, so that came as a surprise.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 27, 2025
“We ought to pull down the curtains,” said Kay, who was always a stickler for good form, “or half-mast the banners.”
From "The Once and Future King" by T. H. White
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
