conscientious
Americanadjective
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governed by conscience; controlled by or done according to one's inner sense of what is right; principled.
She's a conscientious judge, who does not let personal prejudices influence her decisions.
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careful and painstaking; particular; meticulous; scrupulous.
conscientious application to the work at hand.
adjective
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involving or taking great care; painstaking; diligent
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governed by or done according to conscience
Synonym Usage
See painstaking.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of conscientious
First recorded in 1605–15; from Medieval Latin conscientiōsus, equivalent to Latin conscienti(a) conscience + -ōsus -ous
Explanation
If someone is conscientious, that person strives to do what's right and to carry out her duties. Conscientious people show care and put in a big effort. Being conscientious has to do with being careful, thoughtful, and decent. A conscientious doctor will do everything possible to help a patient. A conscientious teacher will spend extra time with students, just to make sure they're learning. A boss wishes every worker could be conscientious: it's a rare and wonderful trait. To be conscientious, you have to be willing to do the right thing even when it's difficult. Unfortunately, many people aren't conscientious.
Vocabulary lists containing conscientious
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The Great Gatsby
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Labor Day Lexicon: Words That Put You To Work
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
These schools, having started with less talented and conscientious teachers, are then stuck with them despite the intolerable practices Ms. Hannah-Jones repeatedly observed in Najya’s school.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 4, 2026
Apparently my 2 a.m. self is part snack-seeking raccoon, part conscientious housekeeper.
From Salon ● Aug. 20, 2026
He’s grateful that he and his wife were conscientious about their finances, so he doesn’t have to worry about downshifting his career or the costs of her care, Matthews said.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 23, 2026
As a young man, Hockney was a conscientious objector and did his military service as a hospital orderly, before studying at the Bradford School of Art and then London's Royal College of Art from 1959.
From Barron's ● Jun. 12, 2026
He was conscientious about arriving promptly, and he took care with his work, doing things right the first time and stepping in to fix mistakes made by other interns.
From "The 57 Bus" by Dashka Slater
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Get a wordDefinitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
