scrupulous etymology

Etymology

The word "scrupulous" comes from the Latin word "scrupulus," which means "small stone, pebble." In ancient Rome, small stones were used as weights on scales to measure the accuracy of measurements. If a scale was perfectly balanced, it was said to be "scrupulous," meaning that it was accurate down to the smallest detail.

Meaning

The word "scrupulous" has two main meanings:

1. Conscientiously careful or precise: Someone who is scrupulous takes great care in their work and tries to do everything to the best of their ability. They are attentive to details and pay close attention to accuracy.
2. Excessively or unreasonably conscientious: Someone who is overly scrupulous may worry excessively about doing the right thing or making the right decision. They may have a tendency to overthink things and may have difficulty making decisions because they are afraid of making a mistake.

Origin

The word "scrupulus" first appeared in Latin in the 1st century BCE. It was originally used to refer to the small stones used on scales and later came to be used metaphorically to describe someone who was very careful or precise. The word "scrupulous" entered the English language in the 14th century.

scrupulous relate terms

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• unscrupulous

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• scrupulous

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• conscientious

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• religiosity

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• incognito

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• Pharisee

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• gazette

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• muff

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• intuition

  Etymology and Meaning Intuition comes from the Latin word intueri meaning to look i

• catharsis

  Etymology Greek κάθαρσις katharsis meaning purification cleansing Me