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methodical

/məˈθɑdəkəl/
/məˈθɒdɪkəl/
IPA guide

Methodical means following a method. If you follow the same sixteen steps in the same order when you make a fire, you could be said to take a methodical approach to this activity.

The idea of moving slowly and orderly through a process can at times be dismissed as bureaucratic or obsessive, but when you use the word methodical to describe it, chances are you think that it's good to follow a method. The only thing missing from a methodical approach is inspiration — dancers shouldn't be too methodical; engineers should.

Definitions of methodical
  1. adjective
    characterized by method and orderliness
    “a methodical scholar”
    synonyms:
    organized
    methodical and efficient in arrangement or function
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