meticulous

Meticulous is an adjective describing a person or process that shows careful and precise attention to detail. A meticulous approach emphasizes thoroughness, accuracy, and careful planning, often involving verification, documentation, and adherence to standards. In professional settings, meticulous work can improve quality and reliability, but the term can also imply fussiness or rigidity when overused or applied to minor issues.

Etymology: Meticulous derives from Latin meticulosus, meaning "fearful," from metus "fear," via French méticuleux into English in the early modern period. The sense of carefulness developed from the idea of avoiding errors through caution.

Usage notes: Synonyms include scrupulous, fastidious, painstaking, and thorough. Antonyms include careless, negligent, and lax. The term is often paired with nouns like attention, approach, research, and record-keeping. In personality and organizational contexts, meticulousness relates to conscientiousness, and in some cases to perfectionism.