Punctilious vs punctual

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Grammarist

Punctilious and punctual are two words that are close in spelling. They share etymology, but have very different meanings. We will examine the definitions of the words punctilious and punctual, where they came from and look at their correct usage in some example sentences.

Punctilious is an adjective that describes someone who is scrupulously attentive to detail or someone who engages in the careful observance of the formalities of etiquette. A person who is punctilious thrives on formality and ritual, and is finicky in manner. He adheres to painstakingly strict rules of etiquette, and enjoys following a prescribed protocol correctly. It is rarely a compliment to describe someone as punctilious, the usage of the word usually carries the connotation of prissiness, a sense of superiority, and over-emphasis on things that do not really matter. Someone who is punctilious may focus on the form of a problem, rather than the substance. The word punctilious is derived from the Italian word puntiglio, which means fine point. This word was taken from the Latin word punctum which means prick or point. Related words are the adverb punctiliously and the noun punctiliousness. The word punctilio means a trivial point of procedure. Some synonyms that may be found in a thesaurus are: formulaic, exact, precisely, fastidious, meticulous, ceremonious, formal, scrupulous, precise, strictly.

Punctual is an adjective that describes someone who is known for arriving to meetings or rendezvous promptly, someone who is concerned enough to arrive somewhere at the proper time. A punctual person does not tolerate lateness in himself or others. Chronic lateness, or lack of punctuality can be a problem for certain people. Some are chronically late because they enjoy being the center of attention when they finally show up to a venue. Some are chronically late as a method of controlling others. Most chronically late people simply to not keep track of time. They may have a faulty internal clock that doesn’t register the passage of time the way others’ do. They may become so engrossed in a task that time passes without their notice. In any case, chronically late people can be very annoying to those who must continually wait for them. The word punctual is also derived from the Latin word punctum, meaning prick or point. Other words derived from punctum include punctuate, punctuation and puncture. Words related to the word punctual are the noun punctuality and the adverb punctually. Some synonyms that may be found in a thesaurus are: on time, prompt, expeditious, on schedule.

Examples

“The test for the BBC is to ensure that, when there are arguments that are seen to come from one side of a debate or another, that we are equally punctilious in making judgements about what the people need to know,” he said. (The Press Gazette)

He was a formidable, punctilious opponent at the Bar Table in defamation cases and defended the reputations of people from all walks of life. (The Sydney Morning Herald)

There is a popular notion that OCD is a set of quirky characteristics that we have claimed as uniquely Singaporean – being excessively conscientious, punctilious, hyper-efficient with a need to be in control of things, perfectionistic, and with an undercurrent of anxiety. (The Straits Times)

Stobart Air, which operates flights to Dublin from Jersey on behalf of Aer Lingus, was listed as the seventh most punctual airline with average delays of just 11.3 minutes and British Airways was ninth most punctual with delayed flights running on average 11.5 minutes late. (The Jersey Evening Post)

The national transporter is hoping to install GPS system in all trains by March next year as the railway ministry claimed it is taking a number of steps to improve the punctuality of trains. (The Deccan Herald)