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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Snag casual frocks and formal gowns in floral patterns and pastel hues, with prices starting at $25.—
Emily Weaver,
People.com,
26 Apr. 2025
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Or there may be mentorship programs integrated but no formal training mechanisms in place, causing a lack of awareness and understanding, thus leading to unchecked bias and inequities in workplace systems.—
Janice Gassam Asare,
Forbes.com,
26 Apr. 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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Ars Technica: Your AI take is that neither the dystopian view of sentient AI or the utopian view is necessarily correct.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
25 Apr. 2025
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Roth was correct as the rain didn’t start for more than 90 minutes, which seemingly would have given the Royals and Rockies a chance to get a good chunk of the game played.—
Pete Grathoff,
Kansas City Star,
24 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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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
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The chief and Kayce seal the deal with a ceremonious blood pact.—
Lynette Rice,
Deadline,
15 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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There may be a nice bunch of grapes, a couple slices of melon, and a hunk of juicy homegrown tomato.—
Tara Massouleh McCay,
Southern Living,
3 May 2025
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Elite firepower, stingy defense, and all-world goaltending to tie a nice bow on it.—
The Athletic NHL,
New York Times,
3 May 2025
Adjective
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On April 2, Trump announced that proper protocol was in place to collect revenue on small-value packages sent through the international postal network.—
Mary Walrath-Holdridge,
USA Today,
2 May 2025
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Fortunately, with proper treatment, Bauer says, halitosis often becomes much less offensive. Rashes Parikh sees lots of patients with rashes at this time of year, and many don’t realize a pollen allergy could be the culprit.—
Angela Haupt,
Time,
2 May 2025
Adjective
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President Trump Makes His Entrance At Pope Francis' Funeral By Emma Marsden Freelance News Reporter Newsweek Is A Trust Project Member news article 7 Pope Francis' funeral took place in a solemn ceremony at the Vatican on Saturday, drawing hundreds of thousands of mourners from around the world.—
Thomas G. Moukawsher,
MSNBC Newsweek,
26 Apr. 2025
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And when public figures die, the resulting rituals can sit awkwardly between a solemn, respectful wake and a chance to personally capture a moment in history.—
Issy Ronald and Lauren Said-Moorhouse,
CNN Money,
25 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Punctilious.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/punctilious. Accessed 8 May. 2025.
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