punctiliousness
Obsessive attention, details
Punctiliousness is meticulous attention to fine points of conduct, procedure, or etiquette.
A punctilious person observes formalities precisely, sometimes to the point of fussiness: His punctiliousness about proper table settings bordered on obsessive.
The word often carries a hint of excessive concern with trivial details, though it can also suggest admirable thoroughness in matters where precision genuinely matters.
Degree of correctness
- correctnessState of being accurate
- precisionAccuracy of measurement
- specificityExactness of detail
- thoroughnessAttention to every detail
exactitude · fidelity · adherence · scrupulousness · meticulousness · carefulness · consistency · fineness
Careful, persistent effort
- attentivenessConcentrated awareness of surroundings
- assiduityPersistent, careful effort
- scrupulousnessCareful moral precision
- carefulnessQuality of being thorough
discipline · thoroughness · perfectionism · pedantry · fussiness · finickiness · orderliness · neatness
Rules of polite conduct
- protocolPrescribed conduct rules
- decorumFitting social conduct
- proprietyCorrectness of conduct
- ceremonyFormal event marking occasions
courtesy · politeness · manners · decencies · observance · conventionality · ritual · solemnity
accuracy
Degree of correctness
- correctnessState of being accurate
- precisionAccuracy of measurement
- specificityExactness of detail
thoroughness · exactitude · fidelity · adherence · scrupulousness · meticulousness · carefulness · consistency · fineness · nicety
diligence
Careful, persistent effort
- attentivenessConcentrated awareness of surroundings
- assiduityPersistent, careful effort
- scrupulousnessCareful moral precision
carefulness · discipline · thoroughness · perfectionism · pedantry · fussiness · finickiness · orderliness · neatness · methodicalness
etiquette
Rules of polite conduct
ceremony · courtesy · politeness · manners · decencies · observance · conventionality · ritual · solemnity · dignity
- fastidiousnessneatness, tidiness, cleanliness, meticulousness, fussiness
- fussinessfussiness, pickiness, picky, nitpicky, persnickety
- carefulnessattention, attentiveness, care, carefulness, caution
- strictnessseverity, rigor, harshness, rigidity, sternness
punctiliousnesscarelessness
Inattention causing mistakes
sloppiness · negligence · inattentiveness · heedlessness · slovenliness
punctiliousnesscasualness
Unstudied, relaxed demeanor
informality · nonchalance · laxness · insouciance · looseness
punctiliousnessflexibility
Ability to adapt easily
leniency · permissiveness · easygoingness · tolerance · indulgence
puncture, punctual, punctuate, punctuality, punctuation, punctilious, acupuncture, punctilio, punctiliously