Punctilio
Pronunciation
- IPA: /pʌŋkˈtɪliˌoʊ/
Origin
Italian puntiglio, or Spanish puntillo, diminutive from Latin punctum ("point").
Full definition of punctilio
Noun
punctilio
(plural punctilios)- A fine point in exactness of conduct, ceremony or procedure. Strictness in observance of formalities.
- 1884, Henry James, "The Path of Duty" in The English Illustrated Magazine 2(15): 240–256.It seemed strange to be engaged to so charming a girl and yet go through with it as if it were simply a social duty. If one had n't been in love with her at first, one ought to have been at the end of a week or two. If Ambrose Tester was not (and to me he did n't pretend to be), he carried it off, as I have said, better than I should have expected. He was a gentleman, and he behaved like a gentleman, with the added punctilio, I think, of being sorry for his betrothed.
- Joyce Ulysses, Episode 16All those wretched quarrels, in his humble opinion, stirring up bad blood, from some bump of combativeness or gland of some kind, erroneously supposed to be about a punctilio of honour and a flag,...
- 1988, Alan Hollinghurst, , Penguin Books (1988), page 254Covert gestures of kindness saved me from trouble, or explained the punctilio of some futile but unavoidable chore.