Definition of conscientious
1 : governed by or conforming to the dictates of conscience : scrupulous a conscientious public servant
2 : meticulous, careful a conscientious listener
conscientiously
adverbconscientiousness
nounRead the Latest from M-W
conscientious was our Word of the Day on 06/22/2008. Hear the podcast!
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Examples of conscientious in a Sentence
He was a good friend to his comrades, a conscientious leader mindful of his men's needs; an upright family man with strong, bright, proud children … —Tom Clancy, Without Remorse, 1994
Because Puckett was a conscientious lieutenant … his men did not have to stint on their fire. He had made sure that every man was carrying a basic load of ammunition and then some to spare … —Neil Sheehan, A Bright Shining Lie, 1988
He was shifty about money matters, not conscientious about returning advances, fulfilling contracts, reading manuscripts. —Monroe K. Spears, American Ambitions, 1987
She has always been a very conscientious worker.
He was conscientious about following the doctor's orders.
Recent Examples of conscientious from the Web
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Without their attentive, honest, and conscientious service, our system would falter.
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Our waiter was conscientious but seemed sidetracked by other tables.
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In her own unfathomable bereavement, Dion was careful and conscientious with theirs.
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Indeed, though once reserved for niche companies catering to chiefly conscientious crowds, animal welfare has broken through the mainstream.
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No one outside the festival circuit has either the inclination or the constitution to watch them all, while the options can look indistinguishably downbeat even to the conscientious.
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A zest for life, an interest in the world, the pursuit of a passion, a desire to learn, a conscientious effort to keep mentally and physically healthy — those seem to be more telling qualities of true youth.
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Q. My elderly mother has been very conscientious about a low-salt diet.
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Mr. Hendrickson began working at Perrigo as an engineer in 1989, and gained a reputation as conscientious manager who was popular with factory workers.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'conscientious.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Did You Know?
According to American writer and editor H.L. Mencken, "Conscience is the inner voice which warns us someone may be looking." A person who is conscientious makes sure that if others are watching, they like what they see. "Conscience" and "conscientious" both come from the Latin verb conscire, a word that means "to be conscious" or "to be conscious of guilt" and that traces back to a still older Latin word, scire, meaning "to know."
Origin and Etymology of conscientious
see conscience
Synonym Discussion of conscientious
CONSCIENTIOUS Defined for English Language Learners
conscientious
playDefinition of conscientious for English Language Learners
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: very careful about doing what you are supposed to do : concerned with doing something correctly
CONSCIENTIOUS Defined for Kids
conscientious
playDefinition of conscientious for Students
1 : guided by or agreeing with a sense of doing what is right No conscientious person would stand for such unfair actions.
2 : using or done with care conscientious teachers conscientious efforts
Learn More about conscientious
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Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for conscientious Spanish Central: Translation of conscientious Nglish: Translation of conscientious for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of conscientious for Arabic speakers
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