Word of the Day

: March 16, 2008

meticulous

adjective muh-TIK-yuh-lus

What It Means

: marked by extreme or excessive care in the consideration or treatment of details

meticulous in Context

Brianna will excel as a proofreader because she is meticulous by nature.

Did You Know?

It may surprise you to learn that "meticulous" is derived from the Latin word for "fearful" -- "meticulosus" -- and ultimately comes 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 19th century "meticulous" acquired a new sense of "overly and timidly careful" (probably influenced by the French word "méticuleux"). This in turn led to the current meaning of "painstakingly careful," with no connotations of fear at all. The newest use was controversial among some usage commentators at first, but it has since become by far the most common meaning and is no longer considered an error.