Alternative for "pedantic"

Question

I would like an alternative for the word "pedantic". "Pedantic" has the meaning of :

highly concerned with minute details or formalisms, especially in learning or teaching.

The problem is, "pedantic" is used in a negative way, that is, it is used for some one who is "ostentatious, and overly concerned". I would like to have a word that has the same meaning as this word(concerned with minute details), minus the negative connotations.

Some come to mind:

meticulous, but "meticulous" can also be used for habits, such as meticulous habits in tidiness etc.
scholarly, but "scholarly" although used for study, does not necessarily have the connotation of highly meticulous study. It can just be study of a subject, without going in-depth.

Ideas please?

I think being a pedant is also awesome, nit-picking missing or incorrect details of people's works to perfecting them is definitely a positive point but to laughing at them is a noted converse. It's normal to see mixed cultures with different types of people tend to favor the latter. http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/pedantic. Just my personal view (maybe very incorrect) — StackUnderblow, Aug 04 '11 at 01:34

score 7 · Accepted Answer · edited Jul 06 '17 at 18:00

First of all, I'd like to say that pedantic has more than a negative connotation. When I think of a word with a negative connotation, it's a word that has a neutral definition but tends to be interpreted as negative. Pedantic, on the other hand, is already a negative word by definition -- it has a negative denotation, and being pedantic can never be interpreted as a positive.

...Was that aside a little pedantic?

To get back on topic, the word I would use is precise or thorough.
Being precise, concise, yet still thorough in describing something is quite the talent.

score 6 · Answer 2 · answered Aug 04 '11 at 10:04

6

I agree with other suggestions - especially Meticulous, and I'll add

Diligent

for some contexts.

answered Aug 04 '11 at 10:04

tenfour

6,661

score 4 · Answer 3 · edited Apr 03 '13 at 13:56

4

Fastidious: it gives more dignity to the trait and steers the connotation away from “obsession”.

edited Apr 03 '13 at 13:56

tchrist

134,759

answered Apr 03 '13 at 13:55

Gandalf

41

score 4 · Answer 4 · edited Aug 04 '11 at 02:25

4

Meticulous, painstaking, scrupulous, attentive, punctilious.

All these words can convey careful attention to detail. Also adroit, skillful, and masterful convey a commendable efficiency.

edited Aug 04 '11 at 02:25

Daniel

57,547

answered Aug 04 '11 at 01:27

Penny

101

score 2 · Answer 5 · edited Aug 04 '11 at 09:52

2

Trying to avoid the negative connotation of pedantic I'd use

perfectionist
meticulous

edited Aug 04 '11 at 09:52

Thursagen

41,919

answered Aug 04 '11 at 07:54

Gurzo

756

3

Perfectionist I feel, is still slightly negative. Perhaps I'm being one. – Thursagen Aug 04 '11 at 07:54

score 1 · Answer 6 · answered Aug 04 '11 at 13:31

1

All good suggestions here. I'll just toss in one of my own: attentive to detail

answered Aug 04 '11 at 13:31

score 0 · Answer 7 · answered Apr 03 '13 at 14:28

Nobody seems to have suggested conscientious yet. Just as pedantic is nearly always negative, conscientious is nearly always positive. To me, meticulous is more neutral, sitting somewhere between the two (and as with most neutral words, can be made to sound positive or negative depending on the context it's used in).

score 0 · Answer 8 · answered Apr 03 '13 at 14:58

0

If someone is highly concerned about the details of something they could be desribed as being very particular.

answered Apr 03 '13 at 14:58

Jez

12,705

score -1 · Answer 9 · answered Sep 05 '14 at 07:02

-1

Those of us who are truly and thoughtfully pondering possible answers to this question are without doubt pedantic/meticulous by nature.

answered Sep 05 '14 at 07:02

Maggie

1

Alternative for "pedantic"

9 Answers9

Linked