Meticulous
adjective /məˈtɪk.jʊ.ləs/ — Showing great attention to detail
Definition
Extremely careful and precise about every small detail — taking care to avoid mistakes through thoroughness rather than speed.
Beyond the definition
The care that becomes craft. Meticulous attention is how love of work expresses itself in practice.
Origin & history
From Latin 'meticulosus' (fearful, timid) — from 'metus' (fear). Originally meant overly cautious from fear; evolved to mean careful from care rather than anxiety.
Example sentences
Illustrative sentences for learning, not verified community posts or sourced quotations.
Her meticulous research meant that her arguments were essentially bulletproof.
Meticulous is not perfectionism for its own sake — it is precision in service of something that matters.
He was meticulous about the small things, which is why the large things always worked.
Synonyms
precise, thorough, painstaking, careful, scrupulous
Antonyms
careless, sloppy, haphazard, negligent
Related words
Word in the Wild
See how this word appears in life, language and stories.
Illustrative sentences and imagined stories for learning — not verified sightings, interviews, or sourced quotations.
Fictional scene
Restorer working on ancient mosaic
An adult restorer works with a magnifying glass on a tiny, intricate part of an ancient mosaic, working with devotion.
The restorer’s focused, careful attention to the tiny fragments illustrates a meticulous nature. By taking the time to work with such precision on every small detail, they ensure the restoration is accurate, avoiding the risk of error through thoroughness.
Image credit: Wordspun · AI-generated conceptual illustration