diligence
1 Americannoun
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constant and earnest effort to accomplish what is undertaken; persistent exertion of body or mind.
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Law. the degree of care and caution required by the circumstances of a person.
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Obsolete. care; caution.
noun
noun
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steady and careful application
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proper attention or care
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law the degree of care required in a given situation
noun
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.
Vocabulary lists containing diligence
Labor Day Lexicon: Words That Put You To Work
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Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka (1954)
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This Week In Words: August 24–30, 2019
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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.
The Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive was designed to make companies eliminate environmental and human rights violations throughout all areas of their business.
From Seattle Times • Nov. 14, 2023
Bankruptcy and Diligence: to introduce improvements to insolvency and debt recovery processes.
From BBC • Sep. 6, 2022
The Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence law will also oblige directors of European Union firms to ensure that their business strategy aligns with limiting global warming to 1.5 Celsius, as agreed under the Paris climate agreement.
From Reuters • Feb. 23, 2022
Diligence pulled him through and would us as well.
From New York Times • Dec. 17, 2021
Diligence in spraying had a similarly unsatisfactory reward in the eastern Sudan, where cotton growers had a bitter experience with DDT.
From "Silent Spring" by Rachel Carson
Definitions 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.
