Pickiness

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. The trait of showing a strong preference for specific options or choices
2. The condition of being overly particular and easily dissatisfied with available alternatives
3. A tendency to be overly selective or demanding about choices

Etymology: Pickiness is a straightforward formation: the adjective "picky" with the suffix "-ness" added to turn a quality into a noun. The adjective "picky" comes from the verb "pick," meaning to choose or select carefully, which descends from an Old English root with cognates across the Germanic languages. The "-y" ending on "picky" marks a tendency or quality, so "picky" means inclined to pick fussily, and adding "-ness" names that disposition as a thing in itself. The "-ness" suffix is one of English's most productive tools. It has been attached to native adjectives since Old English, where forms like "-nes" turned adjectives into abstract nouns for states and qualities. Its use is so routine that almost any adjective can take it, which is why speakers coin new forms like this one without much fuss. The result is a noun for the trait of being overly selective or demanding, describing the habit as a behaviour a person can show, rather than a single choice.

Synonyms: fussiness, fastidiousness, particularity

Antonyms: indifference, carelessness