methodicalme‧thod‧i‧cal /məˈθɒdɪkəl $ -ˈθɑː-/ AWL adjective 
Examples
He always checked every detail in a methodical way. a methodical approach to answering questions► see thesaurus at careful2a methodical person always does things carefully, using an ordered system: She’s a very methodical person. He had a neat, methodical mind.—methodically /-kli/ adverb: He went through the papers methodically, one by one.
ExamplesEXAMPLES FROM OTHER DICTIONARIES
Thesaurus- methodical research
- a cautious, methodical killer
- Barnes is a conscientious and methodical journalist who would have checked all of the facts before writing the story.
- Poirot, always deliberate and methodical, made a list of all the possible suspects.
- A methodical fellow, Zubkoff discovered that his problem arose only when he processed his film during the day.
- After more than two decades on the national scene, the methodical Gore is a seasoned politician.
- At the other end of the scale there are ambitious research projects undertaken for methodical demonstration purposes.
- He approached detective fiction as a craft that could be learned through careful, methodical study.
- He was methodical, almost impersonal.
- So, too, is his stress on the importance of finding, and following, a methodical route to knowledge.
- The handwriting throughout appears neat and small and regular, as one might expect from a man of methodical mind.
- These activities are most likely to appeal to the more methodical student wishing to follow a clear procedure.
THESAURUS► careful
Collocations trying to avoid mistakes and do everything correctly by paying a lot of attention to details: · Try to be more careful with your punctuation.· A careful inspection showed cracks in the foundation of the building.
► methodical always doing things in a careful and well-organized way: · He is very methodical in his work and likes to plan everything in advance.· This time the researchers used a more methodical approach to the problem.
► thorough careful to examine or deal with every part of something, so that you do not miss anything important: · There will be a thorough investigation into the circumstances of her death.· Our mechanics will check everything – they’re very thorough.
► meticulous very careful about every small detail in order to make sure everything is done correctly: · She keeps meticulous records of the students’ progress.· He was meticulous about keeping the place clean and tidy.
► systematic using a fixed plan in a careful and well-organized way in order to do everything that you should: · a systematic review of the scientific evidence· We need a systematic way to evaluate employees.
► painstaking using a lot of time and effort to do something in a very careful and thorough way: · The book is the result of ten years of painstaking research.· They began the long and painstaking task of translating his work into English.
Longman Language Activatorcareful to do things correctly► careful someone who is careful tries not to make mistakes, and tries to do everything correctly: · She's a careful, hard-working student.careful with: · Try to be more careful with your punctuation.careful (not) to do something: · They were careful not to touch anything until the police arrived.· Fry the garlic, being careful not to let it burn.
► with care formal if you do something with care you do it carefully in order to make sure that you do not make any mistakes: · She has to work slowly and with great care in order to get the picture just right.· Her room is beautifully furnished, with a great deal of care and attention to detail.· Aunt Beryl's presents were well-received, and had obviously been chosen with a lot of care.
► conscientious someone who is conscientious has a serious attitude to their work or their duties and tries hard to do everything they have been asked to do in the way that it should be done: · She was a very conscientious student and attended all her lectures.· His previous employer describes him as honest, hard-working and conscientious.conscientious about: · I wish everyone was as conscientious as you are about getting to work on time.
► thorough someone who is thorough is careful that all the work they do is complete and correct: · Our mechanics will check everything - they're very thorough.
► meticulous someone who is meticulous pays a lot of attention to every detail in order to make sure that everything is done correctly: · This beautiful piece of jewellery is the work of a meticulous craftsman.· My mother was extremely meticulous and always made sure that every room in the house was spotlessly clean.meticulous about: · Our accountant is very meticulous about his work. I can't imagine him ever making a mistake.
► methodical someone who is methodical always does their work in a carefully planned way and is careful to check everything they do: · Poirot, always deliberate and methodical, made a list of all the possible suspects.· Barnes is a conscientious and methodical journalist who would have checked all of the facts before writing the story.
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE CORPUSNOUN► approach
Word family· The year includes the presentation of a methodical approach to programming and contact with different programming environments.· A methodical approach to this problem is necessary.· By adopting this methodical approach you should avoid the pitfalls and successfully answer any questions set on this subject.· I shall offer here a methodical approach to answering such questions.
WORD FAMILYnounmethodmethodologyadjectivemethodicalmethodologicaladverbmethodically
1a methodical way of doing something is careful and uses an ordered system: He always checked every detail in a methodical way. a methodical approach to answering questions► see thesaurus at careful2a methodical person always does things carefully, using an ordered system: She’s a very methodical person. He had a neat, methodical mind.—methodically /-kli/ adverb: He went through the papers methodically, one by one.