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
If the roles of estate planner, trustee and personal representative for a client by themselves are deemed to be conflicting positions, as suggested by the court’s opinion, then punctilious adherence to the conflict rules regarding sales of financial products or insurance is even more important.
—
Jay Adkisson, Forbes, 21 Oct. 2024
But judging asylum claims on this standard has often been an exhaustive, slow and punctilious process, ascertaining the persecutor’s intent, verifying the claimant’s beliefs or identity at the root of the persecution and so on.
—Bill Frelick, The Mercury News, 19 July 2024
Saban was different from Carroll, more punctilious but no less competitive or curious about defenses, with an unusually keen eye for identifying talent.
—Louisa Thomas, The New Yorker, 13 Jan. 2024
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
See All Example Sentences for punctilious
Jay Adkisson, Forbes, 21 Oct. 2024
But judging asylum claims on this standard has often been an exhaustive, slow and punctilious process, ascertaining the persecutor’s intent, verifying the claimant’s beliefs or identity at the root of the persecution and so on.
—Bill Frelick, The Mercury News, 19 July 2024
Saban was different from Carroll, more punctilious but no less competitive or curious about defenses, with an unusually keen eye for identifying talent.
—Louisa Thomas, The New Yorker, 13 Jan. 2024
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
See All Example Sentences for punctilious
Recent Examples of Synonyms for punctilious
Adjective
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According to the editors, both of these books embody the company’s ethos by modeling formal ambition, emotional depth, and a willingness to engage difficult questions.—
Brittany Allen,
Literary Hub,
11 June 2026
-
The service The service is formal, but friendly and attentive, and the concierge showed an enthusiastic passion for the city that created moments for interest and exploration beyond the Guggenheim.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
11 June 2026
Adjective
-
This is a lovely, if rather decorous and reverent, tale of an illicit affair that’s unlikely to cause as much noise as Dhont’s last two films.—
Ryan Lattanzio,
IndieWire,
22 May 2026
-
But such disagreements tended to be handled with the decorous language of diplomacy.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
15 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
The correct response cannot be grasped, only meditated upon in the way of a koan used to train Zen Buddhist monks and force them into enlightenment.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
11 June 2026
-
Later asked by Deadline how traditional entertainment companies could court the likes of Markiplier and Kane Parsons, Tewes opined that attempting a top-down approach with digital and YouTube creators would have the opposite effect and the correct path would be to offer distribution to their films.—
Jesse Whittock,
Deadline,
10 June 2026
Adjective
-
It is celebrated with a ceremonious parade that features a cavalcade of men dressed in Roman soldier costumes, evoking a sense of solemn thanksgiving and spiritual devotion.—
Condé Nast Traveler,
Condé Nast Traveler,
28 Mar. 2026
-
The ones named Grand Champion and Reserve Grand Champion by the judges make a ceremonious visit at the end of the day to the Brown Palace Hotel and Spa in downtown Denver.—
Miguel Otárola,
Denver Post,
21 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
After Silseth, though, the Angels’ relievers did a nice job and the hitters executed in the 10th to push home the winner.—
Jeff Fletcher,
Oc Register,
11 June 2026
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The interior measures 420 sq ft (39 sq m) and is finished in shiplap and drywall, with a tongue-and-groove feature wall and exposed timber beams, which are a nice touch.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
10 June 2026
Adjective
-
Potential asylum seekers had no proper access to legal advice, and some people were held for weeks, much longer than the three days that the law allowed.—
Nicole Winfield,
Los Angeles Times,
11 June 2026
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Most Red Raiders feel that Texas Tech does not get its proper piece of all of that Permian Basin revenue, which flows legally, and freely, to Texas A&M and the University of Texas; those rights bloat A&M to UT’s respective endowments to the billions, while Tech only gets millions.—
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
11 June 2026
Adjective
-
The once-rising developer’s solemn promise is not likely to be fulfilled if court records in his federal criminal case and a parallel Securities and Exchange Commission lawsuit are any indication.—
Jay Weaver
June 6,
Miami Herald,
6 June 2026
-
What was once an event with great ceremony, solemn prayers and patriotic songs this year lasted fewer than 20 minutes before some 40 people.—
Jerry Shnay,
Chicago Tribune,
1 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Punctilious.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/punctilious. Accessed 13 Jun. 2026.
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