different between minutely vs meticulous

English

Etymology

minute +? -ly

Pronunciation

• (on a minute scale): IPA^(key): /ma??nju?tl?/
• (happening every minute): IPA^(key): /?m?n?tl?/

Adverb

minutely (comparative more minutely, superlative most minutely)

1. With attention to tiny details.
   • 1913, William Elliot Griffis, The Mikado's Empire (book 2, page 478)

     To describe them in full, and to recount minutely the ideas held by the Japanese rustics concerning them, would be to compile an octavo work on dragonology.

2. On a minute scale. (Can we add an example for this sense?)

Translations

Adjective

minutely (not comparable)

1. Happening every minute; continuing; unceasing.
   • 1654, Henry Hammond, Of Fundamentals...

     Throwing themselves absolutely upon God's minutely providence.

Anagrams

• untimely

English

Etymology

From Latin meticul?sus (“full of fear, timid, fearful, terrible, frightful”), from metus (“fear”) and -cul?sus, extracted from per?cul?sus (“perilous”). Sense of "characterized by very precise, conscientious attention to details" is from French méticuleux.

Pronunciation

• (US) IPA^(key): /m??t?kj?l?s/, /m??t?kjul?s/
• Rhymes: -?kj?l?s

Adjective

meticulous (comparative more meticulous, superlative most meticulous)

1. Characterized by very precise, conscientious attention to details.

   Synonyms: careful, precise, painstaking, rigorous, scrupulous; see also Thesaurus:meticulous

   Antonyms: sloppy, careless, slapdash
2. (archaic) Timid, fearful, overly cautious.

   Synonyms: see Thesaurus:cautious

   Antonyms: aggressive, carefree; see also Thesaurus:careless

Derived terms

• meticulosity, meticulously, meticulousness

Translations

Further reading

• meticulous in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913.
• meticulous in The Century Dictionary, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911.