ENGLISH
REFERENCE

meticulous

adj.
C1 Advanced US //məˈtɪkjəɫəs// UK //mɛtˈɪkjʊləs// metic·u·lous Archaic

adj. very careful about small details. You use this word to describe someone who does things perfectly and takes their time to get everything exactly right.

adj. showing great attention to detail; very careful and precise. Frequently applied to thorough planning, execution, or personal habits.


SIMPLE

He is very meticulous about keeping his desk perfectly clean.

CONTEXTUAL

The architect was meticulous in her planning, ensuring every measurement was checked three times before construction began.

COMPLEX

The restoration of the ancient manuscript required meticulous attention to detail, as a single slip of the scalpel could destroy centuries of irreplaceable history.

Synonyms
Origin

Learned borrowing from Latin meticulōsus (“full of fear, timid, fearful, terrible, frightful”), from metus (“fear”) and -culōsus, extracted from perīculōsus (“perilous”). Sense of “characterized by very precise, conscientious attention to details” is a semantic loan from French méticuleux.

Usage

Typically followed by the prepositions 'in' or 'about' when specifying the area of care.

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