What is the Difference Between Meticulous and Scrupulous

The main difference between meticulous and scrupulous is that meticulous means careful with great attention to detail, while scrupulous can mean honest and ethical.

To be more precise, the adjective scrupulous has two different meanings: 1) careful and extremely attentive to details, and 2) principled and ethical. When we are talking about someone’s extreme attention to details, we can use the two adjectives meticulous and scrupulous interchangeably. However, at other times, these two adjectives are not similar and should not be used as synonyms.

Key Areas Covered

1. What Does Meticulous Mean
     – Definition, Meaning, Examples
2. What Does Scrupulous Mean
     – Definition, Meaning, Examples
3. What are the Similarities Between Meticulous and Scrupulous
    – Outline of Common Features
4. What is the Difference Between Meticulous and Scrupulous
    – Comparison of Key Differences

Key Terms

Adjectives, Meticulous, Scrupulous

Meticulous – Definition, Meaning, and Examples

Meticulous is an adjective that means ‘very careful and with great attention to detail’. A meticulous person is someone who does things very carefully and with great attention to details. Moreover, a meticulous person usually wants everything to be in order; this kind of people are also neat and very organized. In addition, there is no room for errors or sloppiness.

In this sense, the adjective meticulous is synonymous with adjectives like punctilious, detailed, and fastidious. Furthermore, the noun form of meticulous is meticulousness while the adverb form is meticulously.

Figure 1: Example Sentence – He was meticulous in his research on stamps.

Moreover, let’s now look at some example sentences with this adjective.

Many hours of meticulous preparation have gone into writing this report.

Jean was a meticulous researcher who didn’t miss any detail.

All his work is meticulous and perfect since he is a skilled craftsman.

He reached the top of the career ladder in such a short time mainly because of his meticulous secretary.

He is always meticulous about his appearance.

Scrupulous – Definition, Meaning, and Examples

The adjective scrupulous has two basic meanings. The first meaning is ‘having moral integrity’. A scrupulous person is someone who has scruples – concerns about doing things that are morally right. For example, if a scrupulous person borrows money from someone, he will return it as soon as possible. Let’s look at some example sentences to understand this meaning more clearly.

He has been scrupulous about telling us the dangers involved.

James was too scrupulous to have an affair with a married woman. 

A less scrupulous vendor might have misled him.

Furthermore, the second meaning of this adjective is ‘thorough and careful with details.’ In this sense, this adjective is similar to the adjective meticulous. Therefore, when referring to this second meaning, meticulous and scrupulous can be interchangeably used. Let’s now look at some examples:

He has carried out this research project with scrupulous attention to details.

She was scrupulous about her children’s hygiene.

This project needs a scrupulous documentation process.

Similarities Between Meticulous and Scrupulous

• Both the adjectives meticulous and scrupulous can refer to great attention to details.
• Therefore, in this sense, these two adjectives are synonymous and interchangeable.

Difference Between Meticulous and Scrupulous

Definition

Meticulous means thorough, careful and attentive to details while scrupulous has two different meanings: 1) careful and extremely attentive to details, 2) principled and ethical.

Person

A meticulous person is someone who does things very carefully and pays extreme attention to detail while a scrupulous person is someone who is honest and someone who has principles.

Scruples

Moreover, a scrupulous person has scruples, which are concerns about doing things that are morally right. However, a meticulous person may or may not have scruples.

Conclusion

Meticulous means through, careful and attentive to details. In contrast, scrupulous has two different meanings – careful and extremely attentive to details; and principled and ethical. The main difference between meticulous and scrupulous is that meticulous always means careful with great attention to detail, whereas scrupulous can sometimes mean honest and ethical. When we are talking about someone’s extreme attention to details, we can use the two adjectives meticulous and scrupulous interchangeably.

Image Courtesy:

1. “2405216” (CC0) via Pixabay
2. “1844079” (CC0) via Pixabay