punctual

• punctuall (obsolete)

Borrowed from Medieval Latin pūnctuālis (“relating to a point”),^[1] from Late Latin pūnctus (“point”) + -ālis (adjective suffix).

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

• Audio (US):

  (file)

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 a 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.

• “punctual”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC.
• William Dwight Whitney, Benjamin E[li] Smith, editors (1911), “punctual”, in The Century Dictionary […], New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., →OCLC.

Borrowed from French ponctuel. By surface analysis, punct +‎ -ual.

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

1. punctual

• punctualitate