adjective
meticulous
muh-TIK-yuh-luhs/məˈtɪkjələs/
Extremely careful and attentive to small details.
The meticulous watchmaker carefully places a tiny gear under the magnifier.
Etymology
Latin meticulosus meant full of fear. The meaning shifted from timidity through being fussily over-careful about details to the modern emphasis on painstaking attention.
In context
Making a sword of this caliber required weeks or months of dedicated labor involving meticulous selection and folding of steel, precision hammering, careful tempering, and precise polishing techniques.
More examples
- She keeps meticulous records of every business expense.
- Restoring the old painting requires meticulous attention to detail.
- He is meticulous in measuring each piece before cutting it.
Forms
meticulous · more meticulous · most meticulous
meticulously adverb — With great care and attention to detail.
meticulousness noun — The quality of being extremely attentive to details.