scrupulously

S1C3R1U1P3U1L1O1U1S1L1Y4
/ˈskɹuːpjʊləsli/

adverb

In a careful manner, with scruple; done with careful attention to detail.

UncommonScrabble 19

Meanings

adverbscrupulously (comparative more scrupulously, superlative most scrupulously)

comparative more scrupulously · superlative most scrupulously

  1. In a careful manner, with scruple; done with careful attention to detail.

    They were frightened when he threatened this, and promised to obey him scrupulously if he would but promise not to desert them.

    1913, Edgar Rice Burroughs, The Return of Tarzan, New York: Ballantine Books, published 1963, page 140
    3 more examples

    Stock is generally well maintained, and the locomotives and railcars are kept scrupulously clean. The former are painted an unrelieved black, and the latter blue and cream, while the coaches are grey.

    1955 May 28, H. P. White, “The Togoland Railway”, in Railway Magazine, page 349

    Some of them have, in fact, given them a theoretical elaboration which for subtlety, refinement, and elegance need make no apologies to the older economics, and which remains faithful to older theorizing in at least one respect, that the tradition of unintelligibility to the layman is scrupulously observed.

    1958, Jacob Viner, The Long View and the Short, page 112

    The citizens of India and Japan have elected nationalist leaders who many say they believe champion a more closed form of identity than their predecessors. While these leaders have observed the principles of liberalism more scrupulously than the Orbáns or Erdogans of the world, their critics suspect that they are quietly fostering intolerance among their supporters.

    2016 December 6, Francis Fukuyama, “The Dangers of Disruption”, in The New York Times

    Synonyms: carefully, conscientiously, meticulously

Synonyms & antonyms

adverbIn a careful manner, with scruple; done with careful attention to detail.

More synonyms by meaning

adverbwith extreme conscientiousness

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

  1. Latinscrūpulōsus“careful, scrupulous”
  2. Middle Frenchscrupuleux
  3. Englishscrupulously

From scrupulous + -ly, from Middle French scrupuleux, from Latin scrūpulōsus (“careful, scrupulous”), from scrūpulus (“anxiety, uneasiness”), diminutive from scrūpus (“sharp stone; anxiety”) + -ulus.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Catalan escrupolosament
  • escrupolosamentin a careful manner
French scrupuleusement
  • scrupuleusementin a careful manner
Polish skrupulatnie
  • skrupulatniein a careful manner
Romanian în mod scrupulos, scrupulos
  • în mod scrupulosin a careful manner
  • scrupulosin a careful manner
  • cu scrupulozitatein a careful manner
Russian скрупулёзно
  • скрупулёзно (skrupuljózno)in a careful manner
Spanish escrupulosamente
  • escrupulosamentein a careful manner
Cite this entry
APA

scrupulously. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/scrupulously

MLA

“scrupulously.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/scrupulously. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “scrupulously,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/scrupulously.

Source: scrupulously on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.