meticulosos

Meticulosos is the plural masculine form of the Spanish adjective meticuloso, and can also function as a noun phrase meaning “meticulous people.” As an adjective, meticuloso describes someone or something that shows careful attention to detail, thoroughness, and exactness in execution or description. When used as a noun, "los meticulosos" can refer to individuals who are notably meticulous or to a group characterized by meticulous habits.

Etymology and usage notes

The term derives from Latin meticulosus, a development that moved from a sense related to fear or caution toward a sense of carefulness and precision in modern Spanish. In everyday language, meticuloso often carries a neutral to positive nuance, emphasizing diligence and quality. It can also convey a negative connotation when paired with implications of fussiness, rigidity, or overattentiveness.

Context and nuance

Meticulosos frequently operate in contexts that demand accuracy, organization, and standards compliance—for example, in engineering, research, editing, or project management. Its synonyms include minucioso, escrupuloso, and perfeccionista, each with subtle differences: minucioso emphasizes thoroughness of detail, escrupuloso stresses ethical or conscientious accuracy, and perfeccionista implies pursuit of flawlessness.

Examples

- Es un analista meticuloso que verifica cada dato.

- Los meticulosos en su equipo retrasaron la entrega por un control excesivo de los documentos.

See also

Meticulous (English), minucioso, escrupuloso, perfeccionista, pedantería.