Persnicketiness definition of persnicketiness by The Free Persnickety importance is quite hard to grasp. It refers to someone who is vitally meticulous and nitpicking. A persnickety individual usually nitpick and has high standards when it comes to expectations and excellence. Their fastidious nature can be viewed as laudable, but it can also magnify excessive criticism and avoidable dissatisfaction. Being persnickety is typically linked to exact focus on specifics but can also be seen as a form of perfectionism.