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Word a Day

punctilious

adjective · /pəŋkˈtɪliəs/ · Level 4 · Expert

What does punctilious mean?

punctilious (adjective): strictly attentive to detail; meticulous or fastidious, particularly to codes or conventions.

Definition: Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.

How do you use punctilious in a sentence?

How do you pronounce punctilious?

/pəŋkˈtɪliəs/ (IPA, American English). The app reads every word aloud.

Where does punctilious come from?

From punctilio (“fine point in exactness of conduct”) + -ous.

Etymology: Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.

What are synonyms of punctilious?

From Princeton WordNet 3.1.

Test yourself: do you know “punctilious”?

Tap an answer to check it. The same questions the app asks.

What does “punctilious” mean?

willing to comply with the commands, orders, or instructions of those in authority; biddable

Not quite: that's what obedient means.

having two or more equally applicable meanings; capable of double or multiple interpretation

Not quite: that's what equivocal means.

strictly attentive to detail; meticulous or fastidious, particularly to codes or conventions

Right! That's what “punctilious” means.

capable or deserving to be admitted, accepted or allowed; allowable, permissible, acceptable

Not quite: that's what admissible means.

Which word is closest in meaning to “punctilious”?

despicable

Not quite: despicable means something else.

disruptive

Not quite: disruptive means something else.

meticulous

Right!

hereditary

Not quite: hereditary means something else.

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