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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Brooks had heard of the band and after a formal event one evening came into the bar with his wife.—
Melinda Newman,
Billboard,
8 May 2025
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The Stray Kids’ member is not the first formal male ambassador for Damiani, which has a long track record of linking with male celebrities, most notably tapping Brad Pitt for its campaigns.—
Martino Carrera,
Footwear News,
8 May 2025
Adjective
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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
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Aside from a series of gruesome martyr scenes frescoed on the interior wall of the second ring in the late 16th century, the decor reflects late Imperial taste for decorous abstraction and costly materials.—
The New York Times,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
2 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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My life was just 93 more respondents away from being cosmically deemed correct!—
Jessie Rosen,
People.com,
3 May 2025
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Jon Stewart starting Monday’s Daily Show in a long, Rip Van Winkle–ass beard was the correct way to illustrate how much these first hundred days of Trump 2.0 have aged us all.—
Bethy Squires,
Vulture,
2 May 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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While the formula played nice with the sensitive skin on our tester’s hairline, its toning effects only lasted a few days.—
Alyssa Grabinski,
People.com,
16 May 2025
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The Half Dome comes with a footprint, which is a rarity these days, and nice to have.—
Scott Gilbertson,
Wired News,
16 May 2025
Adjective
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The helmsman, feeling swells beneath the vessel, gleans the proper heading, even in the dark.—
The Conversation,
The Conversation,
14 May 2025
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Burial evidence linked to potential victims of obstetric deaths suggests not all infants who died early received proper burials or were even born free.—
Jack Beresford,
MSNBC Newsweek,
14 May 2025
Adjective
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Far from solemn, the atmosphere has turned into a party of thousands.—
Katie Primm,
NBC news,
9 May 2025
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Over the decades, observance of V-E Day in the West has assumed a more muted, solemn tone.—
Noah Rothman,
National Review,
8 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Punctilious.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/punctilious. Accessed 21 May. 2025.
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