Nitpicking vs. Meticulous — What's the Difference?

Nitpicking is a term, first used in 1956, that describes the action of giving too much attention to unimportant detail. A person who nitpicks is termed as a nitpicker.The terminology originates from the common act of manually removing nits (the eggs of lice, generally head lice) from another person's hair.As nitpicking inherently requires fastidious attention to detail, the term has become appropriated to describe the practice of meticulously searching for minor, even trivial errors in detail .Nitpicking has been used to describe dishonest insurers, and bullying employers.

Showing or acting with extreme care and concern for details.

To be concerned with or find fault with insignificant details.

(Archaic) Excessively careful and precise.

To criticize or find fault with (someone or something) in a petty way.

Characterized by very precise, conscientious attention to details.

The painstaking process of removing nits (lice eggs) from someone's hair.

(archaic) Timid, fearful, overly cautious.

A process of finding or pointing out tiny details or errors, particularly if the pointed-out details seem insignificant or irrelevant to all but the finder.

Timid; fearful.

Quibbling over insignificant details;

Taking great care to get every detail correct; working thoroughly and with precision; as, meticulous workmanship.

Marked by precise accordance with details;

Marked by extreme care in treatment of details;