scrupulous
adjective
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People described as “scrupulous” might feel discomfort in anything that challenges their moral sensibilities. Such challenges might present a nagging feeling, much as a sharp pebble in a shoe might nag a walker intent on getting somewhere. And we are getting somewhere. The origin of scrupulous is founded in just such a pebble. Scrupulous and its close relative scruple (“a feeling that prevents you from doing something that you think is wrong”) both come from the Latin noun scrupulus, “a small sharp stone,” the diminutive of scrupus, “a sharp stone.” Scrupus has a metaphorical meaning too: “a source of anxiety or uneasiness.” When the adjective scrupulous entered the English language in the 15th century, it meant “principled,” as in “having moral integrity,” but it now also commonly means “painstaking” or “careful.”
Examples of scrupulous in a Sentence
James Ryerson, New York Times Book Review, 6 Nov. 2005
Most clients praise the lawyer effusively. Rubenstein declares that Grubman never represents both parties in any one matter, is scrupulous in disclosing his relations to all his clients and abides by the conflict rules of the legal profession.
—Johnnie L. Roberts, Newsweek, 6 Aug. 2001
Tax-shelter proliferation has reached such epidemic proportions that it has actually spurred a backlash among the more conscientious members of the tax profession. A few scrupulous tax lawyers have anonymously leaked details of shelter schemes to the IRS.
—Franklin Foer, New Republic, 5 June 2000
She was always scrupulous about her work.
The work requires scrupulous attention to detail.
Less scrupulous companies find ways to evade the law.
Lauren Michele Jackson, New Yorker, 28 Apr. 2025
But what if someone less scrupulous had been included on messages of such sensitivity?
—Niall Stanage, The Hill, 24 Mar. 2025
There is a natural instinct, of course, to see this student as a dubious figure, too scrupulous to achieve any substantial thought or comprehension of the world.
—Mariana Dimópulos, Harpers Magazine, 26 Mar. 2025
No responsible company would risk violating the FCPA under such conditions, and thus any theoretical benefits of this policy would accrue only to their less scrupulous competitors.
—Bloomberg Opinion, Twin Cities, 3 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for scrupulous
Cite this Entry
“Scrupulous.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/scrupulous. Accessed 20 May. 2025.
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scrupulous
adjective
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