punctilious

C2+ Topic:Describing Qualities

US /pʌŋkˈtɪliəs/ UK /pʌŋkˈtɪliəs/ See IPA manual

Meanings

1

adj
showing great attention to detail or correct behavior

He was punctilious about returning every borrowed book on time.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 adj · showing great attention to... meticulous scrupulous fastidious precise conscientious exact fussy

Opposites

careless negligent slapdash lax

Word family

Derived forms punctiliouslypunctiliousness

Related forms punctiliopunctual point punctuate

Simplified etymology

Punctilious, recorded from the early 17th century, belongs to the family of Latin punctum “a small hole or mark made by pricking.” Its sense developed from attending carefully to small points or details of conduct.

Etymology

From Italian puntiglioso or French pointilleux, ultimately from Latin punctum ('a point'), from pungere ('to prick, pierce').

punctum Latin pungere Latin *peuǵ- Proto-Indo-European

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Describing Qualities Word Formation & Derivatives

External links

# punctilious

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C2+
**Part of speech:** adj
**IPA (US):** /pʌŋkˈtɪliəs/
**IPA (UK):** /pʌŋkˈtɪliəs/

## Meanings
1. showing great attention to detail or correct behavior

## Examples
- He was punctilious about returning every borrowed book on time.

## Synonyms
- meticulous
- scrupulous
- fastidious
- precise
- conscientious
- exact
- fussy

## Antonyms
- careless
- negligent
- slapdash
- lax

## Derived Forms
- punctiliously
- punctiliousness

## Related Forms
- punctilio
- punctual
- point
- punctuate

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: punctum
- Root: pungere
- Root: *peuǵ-

## Etymology
From Italian puntiglioso or French pointilleux, ultimately from Latin punctum ('a point'), from pungere ('to prick, pierce').

## AI Etymology
Punctilious is from Italian puntiglioso or French pointilleux, ultimately from Latin punctum ('a point'), from pungere ('to prick, pierce'). Important recorded forms include punctum (Latin), pungere (Latin), and *peuǵ- (Proto-Indo-European). The modern sense follows that older lexical line closely. In current use it covers showing great attention to detail or correct behavior. The wider family includes derived forms such as punctiliously and punctiliousness and related words such as punctilio, punctual, point, and punctuate.

## Topics
- Describing Qualities
- Word Formation & Derivatives

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