sticklers
|stick-ler|
🇺🇸
/ˈstɪklɚ/
🇬🇧
/ˈstɪklə/
(stickler)
insistent on rules
Etymology
'stickler' originates from English, specifically from the obsolete verb 'stickle' (late Middle English to early Modern English), where 'stickle' meant 'to contend, dispute, or be persistent/insistent.'
'stickler' developed from the verb 'stickle' with the agentive suffix '-er' to form a noun meaning 'one who stickles/contends.' Over time (17th–19th centuries) the sense narrowed to someone who insists on particular standards or rules.
Initially it meant 'one who contends or disputes,' but over time it evolved into its current meaning of 'someone who insists on a particular standard, rule, or detail.'
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
plural form of 'stickler': a person who insists on a certain quality or type of behavior, especially strict adherence to rules or attention to detail.
Many sticklers insist that reports be formatted exactly.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Idioms
Last updated: 2025/10/01 15:03