scrupulous
Extremely attentive to details; very concerned to avoid doing wrong; meticulous and precise.
Scrupulous has two closely related meanings: being extremely careful and precise (scrupulous research), and being highly moral and hesitant to do anything wrong (scrupulous honesty).
Word relationships
- meticulous: Meticulous means showing great attention to detail, but it does not carry the moral or ethical connotations of scrupulous.
- conscientious: Conscientious means wishing to do one's duty well and thoroughly, which is very close, but scrupulous emphasizes a fear of doing wrong or making errors.
- unscrupulous: Unscrupulous means having or showing no moral principles; dishonest or unfair.
- negligent: Negligent means failing to take proper care in doing something, which is the opposite of scrupulous care.
Commonly confused with
- scurrilous: Scurrilous means making insulting or damaging claims about someone, whereas scrupulous means extremely careful and moral.
Word family
- scruple (noun): A feeling of doubt or hesitation with regard to the morality of an action.
- scrupulously (adverb): In a careful, meticulous, or moral manner.
- scrupulousness (noun): The quality of being scrupulous; extreme care or moral concern.
Collocations
- scrupulous attention
- scrupulous honesty
- scrupulous care
- scrupulously clean
Example sentences
- "The laboratory technician kept scrupulous records of every temperature change during the experiment." A description of a scientific experiment.
- "He was scrupulous in his business dealings, refusing to engage in any practice that might mislead his customers." A biography of an ethical businessman.
Memory hook
Think of a tiny pebble (scruple) in your shoe. You cannot walk comfortably until you deal with it. A scrupulous person has a moral 'pebble' in their mind that makes them hesitate before doing anything wrong. The pebble of conscience.
When not to use
Do not use scrupulous to describe someone who is simply neat or tidy; it implies a deep, almost anxious concern for accuracy, ethics, or rules.
Fun facts
- In ancient Roman weights, a 'scrupulus' was also the smallest unit of weight, equal to about 1.14 grams, which reinforces the idea of paying attention to the tiniest details.
Related words
Explore more words
meticulous, fastidious, punctilious, rigorous, conscientious, scrutinize
Also appears in
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