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
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
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.
One case featured a vice mayor in southwestern China who allegedly chased quick results by approving titanium plants and signing billions of yuan of investment deals without proper due diligence.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 28, 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
To hear the girls from the other dormitories tell it, Miss Lucy’s diligence put her colleagues to shame.
From "The Underground Railroad: A Novel" by Colson Whitehead
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.
