punctilious

adjective

ˌpəŋk-ˈti-lē-əs How to pronounce punctilious (audio)
Definition of punctiliousnext
as in formal
marked by or showing careful attention to set forms and details old-money aristocrats with a punctilious sense of propriety

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

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

Some common synonyms of punctilious are careful, meticulous, and scrupulous. While all these words mean "showing close attention to detail," punctilious implies minute, even excessive attention to fine points.

punctilious observance of ritual

Where would careful be a reasonable alternative to punctilious?

The synonyms careful and punctilious are sometimes interchangeable, but careful implies attentiveness and cautiousness in avoiding mistakes.

a careful worker

In what contexts can meticulous take the place of punctilious?

The words meticulous and punctilious can be used in similar contexts, but meticulous may imply either commendable extreme carefulness or a hampering finicky caution over small points.

meticulous scholarship

When can scrupulous be used instead of punctilious?

While the synonyms scrupulous and punctilious are close in meaning, 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 punctilious Eliminate the constant replays to create punctilious correctness. — Richard E. Vatz, Baltimore Sun, 15 June 2026 Rick is tightly scheduled, punctilious to a fault, endowed with verbal wit that gently but firmly shapes and smooths social interactions. — Richard Brody, New Yorker, 29 May 2026 The Irish actor Andrew Scott deftly embodies James Stagg, the punctilious Scottish chief meteorologist. — Daniel Jonah Wolpert, NPR, 29 May 2026 The following top 10 best horror movies of 2024 are all quality films that will stand the test of time thanks to their punctilious craft. — Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 1 Jan. 2025 See All Example Sentences for punctilious
Recent Examples of Synonyms for punctilious
  1. formal
  2. decorous
  3. correct
  4. ceremonious
  5. nice
  6. proper
  7. solemn
Adjective
  • The president may reveal Clayton's appointment as soon as Friday, the person said, speaking on condition of anonymity before a formal announcement.
    — Jeff Masonand Michael Shepard Bloomberg, Arkansas Online, 3 Oct. 2026
  • The very fact that this has now been given a formal college inside the PLA’s Army Engineering University is telling, however.
    — Christopher McFadden, Interesting Engineering, 3 Oct. 2026
Definition of formal
Adjective
  • What was pell-mell and excited becomes thoughtful and decorous.
    — Louis Menand, New Yorker, 21 Sep. 2026
  • Don’t go looking for hushed tones, decorous silence or the other traditions of a sport whose roots exist on the hallowed lawns of polite society.
    — Matthew Futterman, New York Times, 4 Sep. 2026
Definition of decorous
Adjective
  • Indeed, people who treat AGI seriously have been much more correct about the speed of AI advances than people who dismiss the concept.
    — Geoffrey Irving, Time, 3 Oct. 2026
  • The first four-lens telescopes appeared around 1643, but if Madrid’s analysis is correct, this would mean the innovation occurred much earlier, in 1630 at the latest, and could be attributed to Galileo.
    — ArsTechnica, ArsTechnica, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of correct
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
Definition of ceremonious
Adjective
  • The woman and her children lived in the nice part of the house and the foster girls — three to five at a time — ate dinner separately in the basement.
    — Joseph Shapiro, NPR, 3 Oct. 2026
  • In an era where millions of recipes are made for content consumption as much as actual consumption, traveling back in time for someone’s beloved 1970 banana bread recipe sounds pretty nice.
    — Candy Hom, AJC.com, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of nice
Adjective
  • Months later, a report found the state hadn't complied with its own lethal injection process since its revision in 2018, resulting in executions being conducted without proper testing of the drugs.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 3 Oct. 2026
  • Guadagnino speaks in calligraphy; adjectives almost certainly accompany a proper name — the extraordinary, the wonderful, the genius.
    — E. Alex Jung, Vulture, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of proper
Adjective
  • This production, solemn about our obligations to one another but committed to providing a good night out at the theater, is neither.
    — Daniel D'Addario, Variety, 2 Oct. 2026
  • Zack Wheeler pitched a gem against Tampa Bay on Sunday and untangled a few thousand knots inside the stomachs of Phillies fans, and even from those inside a mostly solemn clubhouse.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 28 Sep. 2026
Definition of solemn

Browse Nearby Words

punchy
punctilious
punctiliously
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Cite this Entry

“Punctilious.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/punctilious. Accessed 9 Oct. 2026.

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