as in formal
marked by or showing careful attention to set forms and details
old-money aristocrats with a punctilious sense of propriety
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Recent Examples of punctilious
Rudolf, before he is eventually tasked with moving on to another camp, is a punctilious, contented autocrat.
—
Peter Rainer, The Christian Science Monitor, 14 Dec. 2023
The Pith: Honorable intent and punctilious adherence to proper form and method does not guarantee a set of results which flesh out a genuine phenomenon.
—Razib Khan, Discover Magazine, 23 May 2011
His punctilious, every-word-counts lyricism makes your head hurt in a good way, like GZA’s Liquid Swords, Ghostface Killah’s Supreme Clientele, and RZA’s Gravediggaz work all congealed in a thrilling sonic stew.
—Andre Gee, Rolling Stone, 24 Aug. 2023
As a protocol officer for Mr. Xi, Mr. Qin was exhaustively punctilious, said Pavel Slunkin, who was a Belarusian diplomat involved in arranging a visit by Mr. Xi to Belarus in 2015.
—David Pierson, New York Times, 26 July 2023
See All Example Sentences for punctilious
Peter Rainer, The Christian Science Monitor, 14 Dec. 2023
The Pith: Honorable intent and punctilious adherence to proper form and method does not guarantee a set of results which flesh out a genuine phenomenon.
—Razib Khan, Discover Magazine, 23 May 2011
His punctilious, every-word-counts lyricism makes your head hurt in a good way, like GZA’s Liquid Swords, Ghostface Killah’s Supreme Clientele, and RZA’s Gravediggaz work all congealed in a thrilling sonic stew.
—Andre Gee, Rolling Stone, 24 Aug. 2023
As a protocol officer for Mr. Xi, Mr. Qin was exhaustively punctilious, said Pavel Slunkin, who was a Belarusian diplomat involved in arranging a visit by Mr. Xi to Belarus in 2015.
—David Pierson, New York Times, 26 July 2023
See All Example Sentences for punctilious
Recent Examples of Synonyms for punctilious
Adjective
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How to Identify High-Value Problems Worth Solving Finding bottlenecks worth addressing requires both formal and informal research methods.—
AllBusiness,
Forbes.com,
13 June 2025
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The formal black-tie awards dinner will be June 28 at the California Center for the Arts, Escondido Conference Center.—
Linda Mcintosh,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
13 June 2025
Adjective
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More decorous versions simply excluded Jews, Blacks, and others to create those ethnic enclaves Vance decries in the form of elite institutions from country clubs to, formerly, Congress and the courts.—
Rebecca Solnit
August 23,
Literary Hub,
23 Aug. 2024
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Instead, they are selected and rearranged to form a narrative of gradual debasement: a semantic descent from the decorous to the vulgar, often ending with crude references to the body.—
Jeffrey Weiss,
Artforum,
1 May 2025
Adjective
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This process involved creating component symbols with accurate pin mappings and identifying—or in some cases creating—the correct footprints for each proprietary component that Sony had never publicly documented.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
12 June 2025
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But, even if Netanyahu’s figures were correct, that would still be less than two hundred trucks per day—far below what humanitarian organizations have said that hungry Gazans need.—
Mosab Abu Toha,
New Yorker,
12 June 2025
Adjective
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Ogden's #75 dons the back of one fan, Kris Prowse, who has opted – on this ceremonious day – to wear the jersey that started it all.—
Billie Melissa,
MSNBC Newsweek,
1 May 2025
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The vice president’s role in officiating the Electoral College count before Congress — the final step in the election process before a president takes the White House — was known for many cycles as one that was mostly uneventful and largely ceremonious.—
Alex Gangitano,
The Hill,
6 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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Nevertheless, nice to get an explanation for why Vondrousova has been invisible.—
James Hansen,
New York Times,
21 June 2025
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From my perspective, this is a nice example of Cisco’s growing emphasis on easing the customer/user experience.—
Patrick Moorhead,
Forbes.com,
20 June 2025
Adjective
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Hollywood studios and craftspeople may be busy agonizing over the proper role of AI’s potential within the film industry, but Chinese studios aren’t slowing down.—
Mathew Scott,
HollywoodReporter,
19 June 2025
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Most interesting is Cane’s prim and proper wife, Peyton (Danielle Campbell).—
Aramide Tinubu,
Variety,
19 June 2025
Adjective
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Only the buzz of Israeli drones overhead filled the solemn silence.—
Freddie Clayton,
NBC news,
7 June 2025
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The score becomes grand and syrupy whenever there’s a big emotional revelation; characters deliver solemn soliloquies on the orderly beauty of math.—
Stephanie Zacharek,
Time,
6 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Punctilious.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/punctilious. Accessed 26 Jun. 2025.
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