diligence

¹ American  

[dil-i-juhns] / ˈdɪl ɪ dʒəns /

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.

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diligence ² American  

[dil-i-juhns, dee-lee-zhahns] / ˈdɪl ɪ dʒəns, di liˈʒɑ̃s /

noun

diligences plural

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

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diligence ¹ British  

/ ˈdɪlɪdʒəns /

noun

1. steady and careful application

2. proper attention or care

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

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diligence ² British  

/ diliʒɑ̃s, ˈdɪlɪdʒəns /

noun

1. history a stagecoach

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• diligences
  plural

Etymology

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; see -ence ( def. )

Origin of diligence²

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

Explanation

If you practice diligence, you are a hard and careful worker. Do you have the diligence to read all the collected works of Henry James? Of course not. Nobody has, but a couple of his early novels won't hurt. Here's a tip: never buy anything big, like a house or a car or a boat, without first exercising what lawyers call "due diligence" — that is, a real degree of care and attention and effort, not to mention a close reading of the small print. Diligence may help you realize the Brooklyn Bridge is not actually yours to buy, or that your potential neighbor has 112 cats living next door.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

diligence diligences

The Jacksonville, Fla.-based Dream Finders said Beazer has created roadblocks in their negotiations by demanding onerous preconditions to starting due diligence.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 8, 2026

And these furtive ads are so prevalent that mere diligence in scrolling or brush-ups on digital literacy aren’t sufficient solutions.

From Slate ● Jun. 27, 2026

They, and they alone, will identify the cause and will make recommendations, which I will consider with the utmost care and due diligence.

From BBC ● Jun. 22, 2026

He replied it’s a “set it and forget it” situation as he urged investors to perform their own due diligence.

From MarketWatch ● Jun. 12, 2026

As she moved through the examination, Cora got the impression she was being conveyed on a belt, like one of Caesar’s products, tended down the line with care and diligence.

From "The Underground Railroad: A Novel" by Colson Whitehead

One of the due diligences will include on the safety culture in Newcrest mines, the company said.

From Reuters ● Apr. 27, 2023

Two diligences painted blue, as well as other vehicles, had arrived from Genoa and Nice.

From The Jew by Kraszewski, Jo?zef Ignacy

Gross Laufingen has seen more stirring times than at present: it was a thriving post town once, a halting-place for all the diligences.

From The Giant's Robe by Anstey, F.

I expedited my journey as well as I could, inquiring everywhere about diligences, and invariably receiving false information.

From Letters of Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy from Italy and Switzerland by Mendelssohn-Bartholdy, Felix

I can state, upon certain information received in Madrid, that the principal Spanish diligences pay black mail to the banditti for their protection.

From Popular Education For the use of Parents and Teachers, and for Young Persons of Both Sexes by Mayhew, Ira

Related Words

• alertness
• earnestness
• intensity
• quickness
• vigor