meticulous

adjective

me·​tic·​u·​lous mə-ˈti-kyə-ləs 

: marked by extreme or excessive care in the consideration or treatment of details

a meticulous researcher

meticulosity

mə-ˌti-kyə-ˈlä-sə-tē 

noun

meticulously

mə-ˈti-kyə-ləs-lē 

adverb

meticulousness

mə-ˈti-kyə-ləs-nəs 

noun

Did you know?

Meticulous Has Fearful Roots

We're afraid we have some strange etymological news: meticulous comes from the Latin word for "fearful"—metīculōsus—and ultimately from the Latin noun metus, meaning "fear." Although meticulous currently has no "fearful" meanings, it was originally used as a synonym of "frightened" and "timid." This sense had fallen into disuse by 1700, and in the 1800s meticulous acquired a new meaning of "overly and timidly careful" (possibly due to the influence of the French word méticuleux). This meaning in turn led to the current one of "painstakingly careful," with no connotations of fear at all. The newest use was controversial for a time, but it is now by far the most common meaning; even the most meticulous (or persnickety, depending on your view) among us consider it perfectly acceptable.

Synonyms

• careful
• conscientious
• fussy
• loving
• painstaking
• scrupulous

Choose the Right Synonym for meticulous

careful, meticulous, scrupulous, punctilious mean showing close attention to detail.

careful implies attentiveness and cautiousness in avoiding mistakes.

a careful worker

meticulous may imply either commendable extreme carefulness or a hampering finicky caution over small points.

meticulous scholarship

scrupulous applies to what is proper or fitting or ethical.

scrupulous honesty

punctilious implies minute, even excessive attention to fine points.

punctilious observance of ritual

Examples of meticulous in a Sentence

Always meticulous about his appearance in the past, he had become dirty and unkempt, with straggly hair, stained clothes, and patches of silver stubble on his chin. —Minette Walters, Fox Evil, 2002

She was very much the craftswoman, all her work meticulous, slow, perfect. —Simon Winchester, The Professor and the Madman, 1998

In dense, meticulous arguments … Brooten mounts an assault on that view. —Cullen Murphy, Atlantic, August 1993

He described the scene in meticulous detail.

He is meticulous about keeping accurate records.

Recent Examples on the Web

Adhering to meticulous grooming, the compliments on the overall look flowed. —Larry Stansbury, Essence, 3 Apr. 2024

Then at the 20-minute mark, the band receded to a hush as Loueke struck the strings with soft, meticulous notes, accompanied by rhythmic clicking scatting, a moment of sheer exhilaration by restraint, as Blanchard, decked out in glittery sneakers, shuffling around in admiration. —Journal Sentinel, 3 Apr. 2024

Word History

Etymology

earlier, "fearful," borrowed from Latin metīculōsus, metūculōsus "timid, apprehensive," from metū-, stem of metus "fear, dread" (of uncertain origin) + -culōsus (in perīculōsus "involving danger, perilous")

Note: The senses "overscrupulous," then "careful, scrupulous" may depend on French méticuleux, for which these meanings are attested somewhat earlier than in English.

First Known Use

1827, in the meaning defined above

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Kids Definition

meticulous

adjective

me·​tic·​u·​lous mə-ˈtik-yə-ləs 

: extremely or overly careful in thinking about or dealing with small details

a meticulous researcher

meticulously adverb

meticulousness noun