diligence

¹

[dil-i-juhns]

noun

1. constant and earnest effort to accomplish what is undertaken; persistent exertion of body or mind.

2. Law.,  the degree of care and caution required by the circumstances of a person.

3. Obsolete.,  care; caution.

diligence

²

[dil-i-juhns, dee-lee-zhahns]

noun

plural

diligences 

1. a public stagecoach, especially as formerly used in France.

diligence

¹

/ ˈdɪlɪdʒəns /

noun

1. steady and careful application

2. proper attention or care

3. law the degree of care required in a given situation

diligence

²

/ diliʒɑ̃s, ˈdɪlɪdʒəns /

noun

1. history a stagecoach

Word History and Origins

Origin of diligence¹

First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English deligence, from Anglo-French, from Latin dīligentia, equivalent to dīligent- (stem of dīligēns ) diligent ( def. ) + -ia; -ence ( def. )

Origin of diligence²

First recorded in 1735–45; short for French carosse de diligence “speed coach”

Word History and Origins

Origin of diligence¹

C14: from Latin dīligentia care, attentiveness

Origin of diligence²

C18: from French, shortened from carosse de diligence, literally: coach of speed

Example Sentences

At their best, Cook said, those vehicles conduct due diligence and closely monitor their loans to privately held companies for signs of distress on their investors’ behalf.

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Hazrat, who started as a busboy, served the hotel for five decades; in a different setting, his dedication and diligence might eventually have lofted him to a leadership role.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

In doing her due diligence, she discovered that audacious creativity really does lie at the core of La Jolla Playhouse’s commitment to new work.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

But the allure of a post-IPO surge or the hype on social media can sometimes distract from proper due diligence.

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The statement noted that some Big Ten schools needed more time to assess the deal and that UC Investments also “requires some additional time to complete our due diligence as recent developments unfold.”

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• alertness www.thesaurus.com
• earnestness 
• intensity 
• quickness www.thesaurus.com
• vigor