Synonym Chooser

How is the word meticulous different from other adjectives like it?

Some common synonyms of meticulous are careful, punctilious, and scrupulous. While all these words mean "showing close attention to detail," meticulous may imply either commendable extreme carefulness or a hampering finicky caution over small points.

meticulous scholarship

When can careful be used instead of meticulous?

The words careful and meticulous are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, careful implies attentiveness and cautiousness in avoiding mistakes.

a careful worker

When would punctilious be a good substitute for meticulous?

The meanings of punctilious and meticulous largely overlap; however, punctilious implies minute, even excessive attention to fine points.

punctilious observance of ritual

In what contexts can scrupulous take the place of meticulous?

In some situations, the words scrupulous and meticulous are roughly equivalent. However, scrupulous applies to what is proper or fitting or ethical.

scrupulous honesty

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of meticulous Her pursuit of rarified goods is both meticulous and delightfully unpredictable. Erin Cunningham, Vogue, 8 Oct. 2025 Prepared workers have foresight, take a proactive approach, and are meticulous planners. William Vanderbloemen, CNBC, 7 Oct. 2025 Martin, who is fifty-four, is the most commercially successful songwriter of the twenty-first century; his work is meticulous and precise, and his songs are taut, balanced, unyielding. Amanda Petrusich, New Yorker, 3 Oct. 2025 Following the video, Swift began sharing footage from the rehearsals and set of the video, letting us into her meticulous planning process. Brittany Spanos, Rolling Stone, 3 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for meticulous
Recent Examples of Synonyms for meticulous
Adjective
  • Be careful when handling debris that may have blown into your yard.
    NC Weather Bot, Charlotte Observer, 11 Oct. 2025
  • Integrating such a messy light source into a silicon photonics chip required careful engineering.
    Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 10 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • More than 70 percent of the participants were identified as being open-minded, conscientious, and emotionally stable.
    Alyssa Ages, Outside, 30 Sep. 2025
  • More than 30 years ago, Greider, a conscientious journalist with a keen eye for detail, exposed how the American political system had been bent toward wealthy interests who could afford to hire lobbyists.
    Zephyr Teachout, The Atlantic, 22 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • Burks is confident, freedom-loving, fashionable (and rocked a lime green suit on the red carpet), and loves to have fun.
    Lynnette Nicholas, Essence, 13 Oct. 2025
  • The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) says that in 2024 almost 3 million cats entered shelters nationwide, but not all of them were lucky enough to find new loving homes.
    Maria Azzurra Volpe, MSNBC Newsweek, 13 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • Daria watched their diligent ascent while Andrés studied the map on his phone.
    Catherine Lacey, New Yorker, 5 Oct. 2025
  • The Hunt After years of diligent saving, a longtime renter with a $300,000 budget weighed whether to take his parents’ advice and return to his childhood building in Elmhurst, or branch out.
    Dan Levin, New York Times, 2 Oct. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Meticulous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/meticulous. Accessed 15 Oct. 2025.

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