me ‧ tic ‧ u ‧ lous /məˈtɪkjələs, mɪˈtɪkjələs/ BrE AmE adjective
[ Date: 1800-1900 ; Language: Latin ; Origin: meticulosus 'afraid' , from metus 'fear' ]
very careful about small details, and always making sure that everything is done correctly:
He kept meticulous accounts.
Their planning and preparation were meticulous.
He cleaned the tools with meticulous care.
The book describes his journey in meticulous detail.
meticulous in
He was meticulous in his use of words.
meticulous about
He has always been so meticulous about his appearance.
—meticulously adverb :
The attack was meticulously planned and executed.
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THESAURUS
▪ careful trying to avoid mistakes and do everything correctly by paying a lot of attention to details:
Try to be more careful with your punctuation.
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A careful inspection showed cracks in the foundation of the building.
▪ methodical always doing things in a careful and well-organized way:
He is very methodical in his work and likes to plan everything in advance.
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This time the researchers used a more methodical approach to the problem.
▪ thorough /ˈθʌrə $ ˈθʌroʊ, ˈθʌrə/ careful to examine or deal with every part of something, so that you do not miss anything important:
There will be a thorough investigation into the circumstances of her death.
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Our mechanics will check everything – they’re very thorough.
▪ meticulous very careful about every small detail in order to make sure everything is done correctly:
She keeps meticulous records of the students’ progress.
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He was meticulous about keeping the place clean and tidy.
▪ systematic using a fixed plan in a careful and well-organized way in order to do everything that you should:
a systematic review of the scientific evidence
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We need a systematic way to evaluate employees.
▪ painstaking using a lot of time and effort to do something in a very careful and thorough way:
The book is the result of ten years of painstaking research.
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They began the long and painstaking task of translating his work into English.