diligence

[dil-i-juh ns]

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noun

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

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

Obsolete. care; caution.

Origin of diligence

1300–50; Middle English deligence (< Anglo-French) < Latin dīligentia, equivalent to dīligent- (stem of dīligēns) diligent + -ia; see -ence

diligence

[dil-i-juh ns; French dee-lee-zhahns]

noun, plural dil·i·gen·ces [dil-i-juh n-siz; French dee-lee-zhahns] /ˈdɪl ɪ dʒən sɪz; French di liˈʒɑ̃s/.

a public stagecoach, especially as formerly used in France.

Origin of diligence

1735–45; short for French carosse de diligence speed coach

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Related Words for diligence

vigor, quickness, intensity, earnestness, alertness, exertion, constancy, attentiveness, assiduity, keenness, pertinacity, industry, attention, carefulness, application, intent, heed, activity, assiduousness, care

Examples from the Web for diligence

Contemporary Examples of diligence

In doing this, the GOP would recruit moderators with “outstanding” reputations for “independence, diligence, and toughness.”
Rush Limbaugh as Debate Moderator? It’s the GOP’s Craziest Idea Yet.
Jamelle Bouie
August 16, 2013
Adopting a foreign child requires persistence, diligence, patience, and a reliance on the slow-turning wheels of justice.
How Difficult Russian Adoptions Were, Even Before Vladimir Putin’s Crackdown
Lauren Ashburn
December 31, 2012
Similarly, if you filed in February (and we hate you) your diligence speaks volumes about your overall responsible nature.
7 Tax Personality Types
Farnoosh Torabi
April 15, 2011
According to one report, their lawyer was disbarred two years after their case was lost for "lack of diligence" in other cases.
The Scott Sisters' Life Sentence for $11
Constantino Diaz-Duran
December 31, 2010

Historical Examples of diligence

Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.
An Explanation of Luther's Small Catechism
Joseph Stump
If we imitate Lydia in diligence, let us not forget to imitate her in piety.
Female Scripture Biographies, Vol. II
Francis Augustus Cox
But all this diligence and speed were not without an object.
The Last of the Mohicans
James Fenimore Cooper
It was necessary to hasten, so that he might be sure of booking a place in the diligence.
Casanova's Homecoming
Arthur Schnitzler
She was the only passenger in the diligence, and the door was locked.
Hetty's Strange History
Anonymous

British Dictionary definitions for diligence

diligence

noun

steady and careful application

proper attention or care

law the degree of care required in a given situation

Word Origin for diligence

C14: from Latin dīligentia care, attentiveness

diligence

noun

history a stagecoach

Word Origin for diligence

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

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for diligence

mid-14c., from Old French diligence "attention, care; haste, speed," from Latin diligentia "attentiveness, carefulness," from diligentem (nominative diligens) "attentive, assiduous, careful," originally present participle of diligere "single out, value highly, esteem, prize, love; aspire to, be content with, appreciate," originally "to pick out, select," from dis- "apart" (see dis-) + legere "choose, gather" (see lecture (n.)).

Sense evolved from "love" through "attentiveness" to "carefulness" to "steady effort." From the secondary French sense comes the old useage of diligence for "public stage coach" (1742; dilly for short), from a French shortening of carrosse de diligence.