Punctiliousness

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. The quality of being extremely careful to follow rules, standards, or details with meticulous attention and strict adherence to propriety
2. The characteristic of demonstrating scrupulous attention to correctness, propriety, and minute details in all matters with unwavering exactness
3. A trait encompassing meticulous adherence to established conventions, standards, and procedural minutiae with rigorous precision

Etymology: Punctiliousness is a plain piece of English construction: the adjective "punctilious" with the suffix "-ness" added to turn a quality into a noun. The adjective is the more interesting half. It came into English in the 1600s, borrowed from Italian "puntiglio" or Spanish "puntillo", both meaning a small point or fine detail, and the word's core sense has always been attention to minute matters of form. Someone punctilious is concerned with getting every small point of etiquette, procedure or obligation exactly right. The English adjective is itself a borrowing, and it carries the idea of the small "point" directly in its ancestry. The "-ous" ending came into the adjective through French, which is why the word feels Latinate, while the "-ness" suffix is Old English in origin and is one of the most productive ways English turns adjectives into abstract nouns. Put together, the noun describes the quality of being scrupulously attentive to fine points, a sense that grew straight out of the word's Italian and Spanish root for a tiny point.

Synonyms: meticulousness, scrupulousness, exactness, fussiness, carefulness

Antonyms: carelessness, indifference, sloppiness, negligence, disregard