as in formal
marked by or showing careful attention to set forms and details
old-money aristocrats with a punctilious sense of propriety
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of punctilious
Saban was different from Carroll, more punctilious but no less competitive or curious about defenses, with an unusually keen eye for identifying talent.
—
Louisa Thomas, The New Yorker, 13 Jan. 2024
Rudolf, before he is eventually tasked with moving on to another camp, is a punctilious, contented autocrat.
—Peter Rainer, The Christian Science Monitor, 14 Dec. 2023
His punctilious, every-word-counts lyricism makes your head hurt in a good way, like GZA’s Liquid Swords, Ghostface Killah’s Supreme Clientele, and RZA’s Gravediggaz work all congealed in a thrilling sonic stew.
—Andre Gee, Rolling Stone, 24 Aug. 2023
The Pith: Honorable intent and punctilious adherence to proper form and method does not guarantee a set of results which flesh out a genuine phenomenon.
—Razib Khan, Discover Magazine, 23 May 2011
See All Example Sentences for punctilious
Louisa Thomas, The New Yorker, 13 Jan. 2024
Rudolf, before he is eventually tasked with moving on to another camp, is a punctilious, contented autocrat.
—Peter Rainer, The Christian Science Monitor, 14 Dec. 2023
His punctilious, every-word-counts lyricism makes your head hurt in a good way, like GZA’s Liquid Swords, Ghostface Killah’s Supreme Clientele, and RZA’s Gravediggaz work all congealed in a thrilling sonic stew.
—Andre Gee, Rolling Stone, 24 Aug. 2023
The Pith: Honorable intent and punctilious adherence to proper form and method does not guarantee a set of results which flesh out a genuine phenomenon.
—Razib Khan, Discover Magazine, 23 May 2011
See All Example Sentences for punctilious
Recent Examples of Synonyms for punctilious
Adjective
-
The four-bedroom, three-bathroom home spanned about 3,800 square feet, with wood-burning fireplaces gracing the formal living and dining rooms on the main floor.—
Katie Schultz,
Architectural Digest,
23 Oct. 2025
-
Reason for Wausau's closure isn't clear In the letter, a formal notification that complies with the Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act of 1988, Wausau's group vice president of the snow and ice division, JP Bourque, did not indicate the reason for the company's closure.—
Jim Riccioli,
jsonline.com,
23 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
California native of the week: California geranium (Geranium californium) is a perennial endemic to the Sierra Nevada that grows into a one-foot mound bearing flowers in white, pink, or lavender with large, highly decorous palmate leaves.—
Joshua Siskin,
Oc Register,
27 Sep. 2025
-
The hearings are usually decorous affairs, where anger is routine but controlled.—
David Lightman,
Sacbee.com,
16 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
If Pauli’s theory of neutrinos were correct, then each of these sets of reactions, both fission and fusion, would emit neutrinos each with a substantial amount of energy (in the ~MeV, or mega-electron-volt, range) to them.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
28 Oct. 2025
-
Which survey is correct, or best, or closest to the truth?—
Jimmy Wales,
Fortune,
28 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
The extended ovation following Kershaw’s ceremonious exit in the top of the fifth preceded the uncontrollable catharsis of Shohei Ohtani’s go-ahead home run in the bottom of the fifth, a three-run shot that pierced the Giants’ soul.—
Justice delos Santos,
Mercury News,
20 Sep. 2025
-
Today is the eleven year anniversary of the release of Destiny, perhaps not as ceremonious as last year’s tenth anniversary, one that did not end the series, but Bungie presses on.—
Paul Tassi,
Forbes.com,
9 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
With that in mind, his glowing comments on Jeter paid a nice tribute.—
Peter Chawaga,
MSNBC Newsweek,
24 Oct. 2025
-
In her opinion, a courthouse wedding or a small ceremony in a family member's backyard would have been just as nice, Kate said.—
Rachel Raposas,
PEOPLE,
24 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
When using hydrogen peroxide, wear protective gloves and eyewear to avoid irritation, ensure proper ventilation, and never mix it with bleach, ammonia, vinegar, or other cleaning agents.—
Karen Brewer Grossman,
Southern Living,
25 Oct. 2025
-
Some of these technologies are essential for ensuring the proper functioning of the service or website and cannot be disabled, while others are optional but serve to enhance the user experience in various ways.—
Walden Green,
Pitchfork,
24 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
The monarch herself eventually selected the winner, an elegant and solemn portrait that was entitled Equanimity and eventually featured on the cover of Time magazine.—
Meredith Kile,
PEOPLE,
27 Oct. 2025
-
Each day brings more permanent residents, arriving in black hearses trailing solemn convoys of hazard-flashing cars to a place still served by generations of locals who cut granite memorials or pour sympathetic whiskeys.—
Chris Kenning,
USA Today,
25 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Punctilious.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/punctilious. Accessed 29 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share