Molly Ivins

In most legislatures, punctilious attention to correct usage is considered elitist. The word 'government,' for example, is normally pronounced 'gummint'; bureaucracy is 'bureaucacy'; fiscal comes out 'physical,' and one moves not to suspend the rules, but to 'suppend.

American Journalist

Ann Coulter

We should invade their countries, kill their leaders and convert them to Christianity. We weren't punctilious about locating and punishing only Hitler and his top officers. We carpet-bombed German cities; we killed civilians. That's war. And this is war.

Xun Kuang

If the quickness of the mind and the fluency of the tongue are too punctilious and sharp, moderate them in your activity and rest.

Chinese Philosopher

Herman Melville

Amity itself can only be maintained by reciprocal respect, and true friends are punctilious equals.

American Novelist

Punctilious carries a positive nuance, suggesting someone is diligent and attentive in actions.

Positive Connotation

Punctilious is appropriate for formal or professional contexts, where precision is valued.

Formal Settings

Combining 'punctilious' with words like 'preparation' or 'detail' strengthens its meaning.