punctual

English

Alternative forms

• punctuall (obsolete)

Etymology

Borrowed from Medieval Latin pūnctuālis (“relating to a point”), from Late Latin pūnctus (“point”) + -ālis (adjective suffix).

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˈpʌŋktjʊəl/, /ˈpʌŋtjʊəl/
• (US) IPA^(key): /ˈpʌŋkt͡ʃuəl/, /ˈpʌŋt͡ʃuəl/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

Adjective

punctual (comparative more punctual, superlative most punctual)

1. Prompt; on time.
   1. (of an event) Happening at the appointed time
   2. (of a person) Acting at the appointed time

      Luis is never late; he's the most punctual person I know.

2. (chiefly mathematics) Existing as a point or series of points
3. (linguistics) Expressing momentary action that has no duration
4. (nonstandard, Euro-English) Periodic; occasional.

   The management of the above mentioned feed sectors is subject to close co-operation with the Member States through […] punctual expert groups meetings where appropriate.

5. (dated) Observing trivial points; punctilious.

Derived terms

• punctuality
• punctualize

Related terms

• point
• pointwise
• punctilious
• punctuate
• punctuation

Translations

prompt

• Arabic: دَقِيق‎ (daqīq)
• Asturian: puntual
• Azerbaijani: dəqiq
• Belarusian: пунктуа́льны (punktuálʹny)
• Bulgarian: точен (točen)
• Catalan: puntual
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 守時／守时 (zh) (shǒushí)

• Czech: dochvilný, přesný
• Dutch: punctueel, stipt
• Esperanto: akurata
• Finnish: täsmällinen, ajoissa, säntillinen
• French: ponctuel
• Galician: puntual
• German: pünktlich
• Indonesian: tepat waktu
• Irish: pointeáilte, poncúil
• Italian: puntuale
• Japanese: (verb, attribute) 時間を守る (jikan o mamoru)
• Korean: 시간-을 엄수하는 (sigan-eul eomsuhaneun)
• Manx: traaoil
• Polish: punktualny
• Portuguese: pontual
• Russian: пунктуа́льный (punktuálʹnyj)
• Scottish Gaelic: pongail
• Spanish: puntual
• Swedish: punktlig
• Turkish: dakik
• Ukrainian: пунктуа́льний (punktuálʹnyj)

mathematics: existing as a point or series of points

• Finnish: pistemäinen
• French: ponctuel

linguistics: expressing momentary action

• Finnish: punktuaalinen

periodic; occasional

• Finnish: ajoittainen
• French: ponctuel

Further reading

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

Romanian

Etymology

From French ponctuel.

Adjective

punctual m or n (feminine singular punctuală, masculine plural punctuali, feminine and neuter plural punctuale)

1. punctual

Declension

Declension of punctual

		singular			plural
		masculine	neuter	feminine	masculine	neuter	feminine
nominative/ accusative	indefinite	punctual		punctuală	punctuali	punctuale
	definite	punctualul		punctuala	punctualii	punctualele
genitive/ dative	indefinite	punctual		punctuale	punctuali	punctuale
	definite	punctualului		punctualei	punctualilor	punctualelor

Related terms

• punctualitate