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.
How to use it
This entry uses an adjective. Follow the examples for the nouns it describes and its position in the sentence.
Choose “Meticulous” when the meaning fits your context: Extremely careful and precise about every small detail — taking care to avoid mistakes through thoroughness rather than speed.
Synonyms
precise, thorough, painstaking, careful, scrupulous
Antonyms
careless, sloppy, haphazard, negligent
Related words
Questions about this word
What does "Meticulous" mean?
Meticulous is adjective meaning: Showing great attention to detail. Extremely careful and precise about every small detail — taking care to avoid mistakes through thoroughness rather than speed.
Where does the word "Meticulous" come from?
From Latin 'meticulosus' (fearful, timid) — from 'metus' (fear). Originally meant overly cautious from fear; evolved to mean careful from care rather than anxiety.