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single word requests - Alternative for "pedantic"



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?



Answer



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.


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