meticulous
American
adjective
Synonym Usage
See painstaking.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of meticulous
First recorded in 1525–35; from Latin metīculōsus “full of fear, fearful,” equivalent to metī- for metū- (stem of metus “fear”) + -culōsus, extracted from perīculōsus “dangerous” ( see perilous)
Explanation
Someone who is meticulous pays extreme attention to detail. If that person is, say, your surgeon or your accountant, you'll definitely want them to be meticulous! The Latin root of meticulous is metus, which means "fear." Someone who's meticulous is afraid of what will happen if they're not careful enough to get every detail right. "Detail-oriented" and "perfectionist" are other ways of describing someone who cares deeply about the small things and about getting things exactly right, every time. Concert pianists must be meticulous, because audiences are always listening for wrong notes.
Vocabulary lists containing meticulous
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Essential Academic Vocabulary for High School Students, List 1
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List 2
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
To boost output, Norwegian producers are investing in technology, paying meticulous attention to their salmon’s health and erecting giant structures aimed at giving them more control over the fish’s environment.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 20, 2026
He says it was "extremely important" for the film to stay faithful to the series, describing it as "a movie made by fans for fans", who can expect "meticulous" attention to detail.
From BBC ● Oct. 16, 2026
The German reputation for being cautious and meticulous in diplomatic matters is well deserved, and the three previous national governments have had relatively cordial relations with Russia.
From Salon ● Sep. 7, 2026
Delivering droplets onto the parched crops requires meticulous preparation to identify suitable clouds.
From Barron's ● Aug. 12, 2026
I did as she asked, and she thanked me—her manners were always meticulous.
From "An Elephant in the Garden" by Michael Morpurgo
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Get a wordDefinitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
