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pedantisch

pedantic, overly fussy, nit-picking

adjective pe-DAN-tish Rare
Descriptions & Qualities Quality

Origin: from Italian pedante (pedant)

Usage Note

Pedantisch describes excessive attention to rules or details at the expense of the bigger picture. Er ist so pedantisch, dass er jeden Tippfehler kommentiert. Mostly negative, though in technical fields careful accuracy can be valued.

Examples

"Die pedantische Korrektorin strich jeden fehlenden Beistrich an."

Natural Translation

The pedantic editor marked every missing comma.

Literal Translation

The pedantic proofreader underlined every missing comma.

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