What does scrupulousness mean?
Scrupulousness is the quality of being scrupulous: morally honest, conscientious, and unwilling to compromise one’s principles. It commonly appears in contexts where trust is important, such as business, law, research, and public service. A person noted for scrupulousness carefully distinguishes right from wrong, reports information truthfully, and takes personal responsibilities seriously. The word can also describe painstaking attention to detail, as in scrupulousness in checking calculations or editing a text, although its strongest and most characteristic sense is concerned with integrity. It is a formal word with an approving tone, and it is often used to praise someone whose ethical standards are especially strong. Its related noun, scruple, refers more specifically to a hesitation based on a moral or principled concern.
The quality of being scrupulous, especially moral integrity and honesty.
"His scrupulousness meant that he refused to benefit from information he had obtained unfairly."
Formal and approving; often used to describe adherence to strict ethical principles.
Careful and meticulous attention to accuracy, detail, or the proper performance of a duty.
"The meticulous scrupulousness of the proofreading caught several subtle errors."
Rare in ordinary usage; the related plural scruples is much more common when referring to individual moral hesitations or principles.
"The two scrupulousnesses of the two reports were compared by the review panel."
The word began with the image of a small stone: Latin scrupulus referred to a pebble that could trip a careful traveller, before “scruple” came to mean a moral hesitation and “scrupulous” came to describe scruple-guided conduct.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does scrupulousness come from?
Scrupulousness comes through English scrupulousness and scrupulous, from Latin scrupulus, meaning a small stone or pebble. In earlier English, scruple referred to a small fragment of metal, then developed the sense of a stone that might hinder a traveller, and eventually a moral hesitation or doubt. Scrupulous originally meant influenced by scruples or moral doubts, before acquiring its modern sense of conscientiously honest and careful.
Related word forms
How scrupulousness is actually used
The word is formal and strongly approving. In modern usage it most often suggests ethical honesty, though it can also describe exceptional care in carrying out a task.
Easily confused with scrupulousness
A scruple is an ethical or practical hesitation, whereas scrupulousness is the broader quality of being scrupulous.
Meticulousness emphasizes careful attention to detail, while scrupulousness more strongly suggests honesty and moral integrity.