as in formal
marked by or showing careful attention to set forms and details
old-money aristocrats with a punctilious sense of propriety
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Recent Examples of punctilious
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
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
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
As a protocol officer for Mr. Xi, Mr. Qin was exhaustively punctilious, said Pavel Slunkin, who was a Belarusian diplomat involved in arranging a visit by Mr. Xi to Belarus in 2015.
—David Pierson, New York Times, 26 July 2023
See All Example Sentences for punctilious
Peter Rainer, The Christian Science Monitor, 14 Dec. 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
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
As a protocol officer for Mr. Xi, Mr. Qin was exhaustively punctilious, said Pavel Slunkin, who was a Belarusian diplomat involved in arranging a visit by Mr. Xi to Belarus in 2015.
—David Pierson, New York Times, 26 July 2023
See All Example Sentences for punctilious
Recent Examples of Synonyms for punctilious
Adjective
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Ramsay is a filmmaker of undeniable formal wizardry and a fearless explorer of psychological rupture.—
Justin Chang,
New Yorker,
20 May 2025
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Robinhood submitted a formal 42-page proposal to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) requesting the creation of a federal regulatory framework for the issuance and trading of tokenized RWAs.—
Sandy Carter,
Forbes.com,
20 May 2025
Adjective
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Instead, they are selected and rearranged to form a narrative of gradual debasement: a semantic descent from the decorous to the vulgar, often ending with crude references to the body.—
Jeffrey Weiss,
Artforum,
1 May 2025
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Aside from a series of gruesome martyr scenes frescoed on the interior wall of the second ring in the late 16th century, the decor reflects late Imperial taste for decorous abstraction and costly materials.—
The New York Times,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
2 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Layne suggested Edward ride again the following week, and over time, as the Lamb family regularly made its way to the Batty farm, Edward started to point out the correct directions.—
Alec Lewis,
New York Times,
19 May 2025
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This story was updated with a correct statement from the FBI.—
Sophie Clark,
MSNBC Newsweek,
19 May 2025
Adjective
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Ogden's #75 dons the back of one fan, Kris Prowse, who has opted – on this ceremonious day – to wear the jersey that started it all.—
Billie Melissa,
MSNBC Newsweek,
1 May 2025
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The vice president’s role in officiating the Electoral College count before Congress — the final step in the election process before a president takes the White House — was known for many cycles as one that was mostly uneventful and largely ceremonious.—
Alex Gangitano,
The Hill,
6 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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The Half Dome comes with a footprint, which is a rarity these days, and nice to have.—
Scott Gilbertson,
Wired News,
16 May 2025
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However, a very nice man let us in, much to the chagrin of a lady who did not want to let us in.—
Baz Bamigboye,
Deadline,
16 May 2025
Adjective
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No agents would be put in the field without proper clearance, Covington assured.—
Jason Meisner,
Chicago Tribune,
14 May 2025
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Burial evidence linked to potential victims of obstetric deaths suggests not all infants who died early received proper burials or were even born free.—
Jack Beresford,
MSNBC Newsweek,
14 May 2025
Adjective
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Handheld digital images give way to more solemn documentary reveries, which give way to surveillance footage and TikTok-style social media interludes.—
Bilge Ebiri,
Vulture,
17 May 2025
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The scenes involving Alma and Erika, both of whom grow up in worlds dominated by a solemn patriarchy and plagued by hardship, feel like they were drawn from period horror movies.—
Jordan Mintzer,
HollywoodReporter,
14 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Punctilious.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/punctilious. Accessed 28 May. 2025.
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