puntual

Puntual is an adjective used in Spanish to describe timeliness and precision. In everyday use, it refers to someone who arrives on time, a task that is completed at the expected moment, or a statement or action that is exact or well-timed. The term can describe both people and events, as in llegar puntualmente (to arrive on time) or una entrega puntual (an on-time delivery). It can also carry a figurative sense, such as una observación puntual (a precise or specific remark) or una respuesta puntual (a concise, exact answer). The related noun is puntualidad, meaning punctuality or timeliness, and the adverb form is puntualmente, used to indicate performing an action with punctuality or at a precise moment.

Etymology and related forms: Puntual comes from Latin punctualis, meaning “pertaining to a point,” which passed into Romance languages through Old French and other intermediaries. The English cognate punctual shares the same Latin root. In Spanish usage, the word is common across contexts—from daily routines to descriptions of schedules and precise details.

Portuguese counterpart: In Portuguese, the standard term is pontual, with the same core meaning of being on time or precise. The corresponding noun is pontualidade and the adverb pontualmente. While puntal or puntualmente may appear in some historical or regional texts, pontual is the normative form in modern Portuguese.

See also: punctuality.