punctilious
/pʌŋkˈtɪli.əs/
punctilious means strictly attentive to detail; meticulous or fastidious, particularly to codes or conventions.
punctilious is pronounced /pʌŋkˈtɪli.əs/.
Why “punctilious” is a great word
Marking an extreme, often rigid, attention to the fine points of formal conduct or prescribed procedure. From the English noun punctilio (a fine point of detail or conduct), itself from Italian puntiglio (a small point, a scruple), and the suffix -ous. The Italian derives from Spanish puntillo, a diminutive of punto (point), from Latin punctum (a point, a prick). First attested in English in the 1630s. Unlike meticulous, which suggests a general precision, or scrupulous, which concerns moral conscience, punctiliousness is a devotion to the code itself, the external form. It is the exact one-inch margin on the memorandum, the precisely timed three-second pause before a reply, the immaculate knot of a regimental tie—a life lived within parentheses, where safety is found in the observance of rules that others no longer see.
adj
- Strictly attentive to detail; meticulous or fastidious, particularly to codes or conventions.e.g.“With a punctilious slap of the gloves, the duel was now inevitable.”
- Precise or scrupulous; finicky or nitpicky.e.g.“Of course, humans do not treat time in such a punctilious fashion.”