meticulous
adjective
Did you know?
Meticulous Has Fearful Roots
We're afraid we have some strange etymological news: meticulous comes from the Latin word for "fearful"—metīculōsus—and ultimately from the Latin noun metus, meaning "fear." Although meticulous currently has no "fearful" meanings, it was originally used as a synonym of "frightened" and "timid." This sense had fallen into disuse by 1700, and in the 1800s meticulous acquired a new meaning of "overly and timidly careful" (possibly due to the influence of the French word méticuleux). This meaning in turn led to the current one of "painstakingly careful," with no connotations of fear at all. The newest use was controversial for a time, but it is now by far the most common meaning; even the most meticulous (or persnickety, depending on your view) among us consider it perfectly acceptable.
Examples of meticulous in a Sentence
Minette Walters, Fox Evil, 2002
She was very much the craftswoman, all her work meticulous, slow, perfect.
—Simon Winchester, The Professor and the Madman, 1998
In dense, meticulous arguments … Brooten mounts an assault on that view.
—Cullen Murphy, Atlantic, August 1993
He described the scene in meticulous detail.
He is meticulous about keeping accurate records.
Matt Morris, Space.com, 6 June 2025
Dungarpur recalls long hours spent restoring the film, reflecting on Ray’s meticulous attention to detail and how every frame was carefully storyboarded.
—Thr India Staff, HollywoodReporter, 5 June 2025
As part of the sanctuary’s strategy to help the animals manage their stress, caretakers keep a meticulous profile of each bear for the remainder of its time in the sanctuary.
—Ryley Graham, Smithsonian Magazine, 4 June 2025
Even pieces that might be categorized as sportswear are constructed using the same meticulous techniques employed in the brand’s bespoke suiting.
—Ritu Upadhyay, Footwear News, 2 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for meticulous
Cite this Entry
“Meticulous.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/meticulous. Accessed 9 Jun. 2025.
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meticulous
adjective
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