punctilious
extremely careful about small details or rules
Roots
- -ous / -ious: full of or marked by a quality
- point / punct: point, prick, or tiny detail
Other words with the point / punct root
- compunction: uneasy guilt or moral pricking
- point: small mark or exact spot
- punctual: on time
- punctuation: marks that organize writing
- puncture: to pierce with a point
Punctilious care notices every tiny point.
Her punctilious citations made the paper impossible to fault.
Punctilious is detail-care taken to the point. Picture someone checking every dot, comma, rule, and tiny obligation.