as in readiness
the quality or habit of arriving or being ready on time
our boss is a real stickler for punctuality—he expects everyone to be at their desk by nine o'clock
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Recent Examples of punctuality
But that move has always struck me as a little goofy in an introduction, like the teacher who delivers her lecture on punctuality to a bunch of empty seats.
—
Literary Hub, 10 Feb. 2026
However, that is not actually where the rules of punctuality end.
—Kaitlyn Yarborough, Southern Living, 7 Feb. 2026
Securing a job in the service industry, as a lifeguard or coach for younger children—essentially any position that requires punctuality, customer service, and the ability to handle pressure—can teach essential skills for preparing for college.
—Sarah Hernholm, Forbes.com, 28 Jan. 2026
More than 10 billion passengers have traveled on Japan’s Shinkansen since 1964, and the network’s drama-free punctuality has become a quiet part of daily life for millions.
—Ben Jones, CNN Money, 26 Jan. 2026
Petro, who is not known for his punctuality, arrived an hour and a half late.
—Jon Lee Anderson, New Yorker, 15 Jan. 2026
New global punctuality rankings from aviation analytics firm Cirium show just how dire delays were in 2025.
—Jacqueline Munis, Fortune, 7 Jan. 2026
Budget airline IndiGo, which commands 65% of the domestic market and is typically known for punctuality, canceled thousands of flights over the last several days due to a pilot shortage stemming from new rules that limit pilots’ work hours.
—semafor.com, 8 Dec. 2025
The companies were assessed on recommendations along with detailed evaluations across six key areas, including professionalism, care of belongings, price and punctuality.
—Usa Today, USA Today, 22 Oct. 2025
Literary Hub, 10 Feb. 2026
However, that is not actually where the rules of punctuality end.
—Kaitlyn Yarborough, Southern Living, 7 Feb. 2026
Securing a job in the service industry, as a lifeguard or coach for younger children—essentially any position that requires punctuality, customer service, and the ability to handle pressure—can teach essential skills for preparing for college.
—Sarah Hernholm, Forbes.com, 28 Jan. 2026
More than 10 billion passengers have traveled on Japan’s Shinkansen since 1964, and the network’s drama-free punctuality has become a quiet part of daily life for millions.
—Ben Jones, CNN Money, 26 Jan. 2026
Petro, who is not known for his punctuality, arrived an hour and a half late.
—Jon Lee Anderson, New Yorker, 15 Jan. 2026
New global punctuality rankings from aviation analytics firm Cirium show just how dire delays were in 2025.
—Jacqueline Munis, Fortune, 7 Jan. 2026
Budget airline IndiGo, which commands 65% of the domestic market and is typically known for punctuality, canceled thousands of flights over the last several days due to a pilot shortage stemming from new rules that limit pilots’ work hours.
—semafor.com, 8 Dec. 2025
The companies were assessed on recommendations along with detailed evaluations across six key areas, including professionalism, care of belongings, price and punctuality.
—Usa Today, USA Today, 22 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for punctuality
Noun
-
The company emphasizes reliability, redundancy, and certification readiness as development priorities.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
6 Feb. 2026
-
To truly assess kindergarten readiness, the approach would have to be holistic — and as a result, costly.—
Makiya Seminera,
Los Angeles Times,
5 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Observational research spanning seven different cultures shows that maternal responsiveness, especially the promptness of it, is a universal feature of caregiving.—
Mark Travers,
Forbes.com,
29 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
By way of demonstrating his willingness to take on tough issues, LeBuhn, 37, cites his experience in Lightfoot’s City Hall, helping to spearhead the former mayor’s effort to end aldermanic prerogative, which gives aldermen effective veto power over most zoning decisions in their wards.—
The Editorial Board,
Chicago Tribune,
13 Feb. 2026
-
Having hit the ground running with the one-two punch of Promising Young Woman (2020) and Saltburn (2023), Fennell immediately showed a knack for provocation and a willingness to poke social-issue bears, even if the aim-to-grasp ratio tended to fall short.—
David Fear,
Rolling Stone,
11 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Certain information has been provided by and/or is based on third party sources and, although such information is believed to be reliable, no representation is made with respect to the accuracy, completeness, or timeliness of such information.—
Katie Stockton,
CNBC,
26 Jan. 2026
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The result — labor satire that hits without feeling like a prestige think piece — is uncanny in its timeliness.—
Alison Foreman,
IndieWire,
26 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Punctuality.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/punctuality. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.
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