punctual

English

Alternative forms

• punctuall (obsolete)

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˈpʌŋktjʊəl/, /ˈpʌŋtjʊəl/
• (US) IPA^(key): /ˈpʌŋktʃuəl/, /ˈpʌŋtʃuəl/

• 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. (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.

Related terms

• point
• pointwise
• punctilious
• punctuate
• punctuality
• punctuation

Translations

prompt

• Arabic: دَقِيق‎ (ar) (daqīq)
• Asturian: puntual
• Belarusian: пунктуа́льны (punktuálʹny)
• Catalan: puntual (ca)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 守時 (zh), 守时 (zh) (shǒushí)

• Czech: dochvilný, přesný (cs)
• Esperanto: akurata
• Finnish: täsmällinen (fi), ajoissa (fi)
• French: ponctuel (fr)
• Galician: puntual
• German: pünktlich (de)
• Indonesian: tepat waktu

• Irish: pointeáilte, poncúil
• Italian: puntuale (it)
• Japanese: (verb, attribute) 時間を守る (jikan o mamoru)
• Korean: 시간을 엄수하는 (sigan-eul eomsuhaneun)
• Manx: traaoil
• Polish: punktualny (pl)
• Portuguese: pontual (pt)
• Russian: пунктуа́льный (ru) (punktuálʹnyj)
• Scottish Gaelic: pongail
• Spanish: puntual (es)
• Swedish: punktlig (sv)
• Turkish: dakik (tr)
• Ukrainian: пунктуа́льний (punktuálʹnyj)

mathematics: existing as a point or series of points

• Finnish: pistemäinen (fi)

linguistics: expressing momentary action

• Finnish: punktuaalinen

periodic; occasional

• Finnish: ajoittainen (fi)

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.