conscientious

adjective con·sci·en·tious \ ˌkän(t)-shē-ˈen(t)-shəs \

Updated on: 12 Apr 2018

Definition of conscientious

1 : meticulous, careful

a conscientious listener

2 : governed by or conforming to the dictates of conscience : scrupulous

a conscientious public servant

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conscientiously

adverb

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conscientiousness

noun

See conscientious defined for English-language learners

See conscientious defined for kids

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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

Being vigilant — as well as conscientious — is imperative.

— marvin i. schotland, Washington Post, "Passover is a jarring reminder: Slavery still thrives today," 29 Mar. 2018
Is driving conscientious people to mental breakdown a really good time for them?

— laurie penny, Longreads, "Who Does She Think She Is?," 29 Mar. 2018
But if a large company hires hundreds of employees who are all conscientious, this will likely pay off with a small but consistent increase in careful work on average.

— keith payne, Scientific American, "How to Think about "Implicit Bias"," 27 Mar. 2018
Competition is fierce for young designers in 2018, who are expected to be not only creative, but conscientious, too.

— emily farra, Vogue, "An On-The-Rise, Eco-Minded Designer Shares Her Highlights From Vancouver Fashion Week," 26 Mar. 2018
Millennials are often more conscientious about energy conservation and efficiency.

— melissa rolland, courant.com, "Here Come The Millennials," 20 Mar. 2018
Americans love nothing more, the truism goes, than a good redemption story; Jimmy Kimmel, conscientious and Cronkitian, is currently starring in such a tale.

— megan garber, The Atlantic, "Forgiving Jimmy Kimmel," 2 Mar. 2018
Then there are a host of factors even conscientious parents might not pick up on.

— justin wm. moyer, Washington Post, "Preventing child suicide is complex, but experts say do not avoid the subject," 7 Mar. 2018
So in 2015 the forty-something Ernster set out to create a more conscientious lingerie and swimwear company.

— linda immediato, Los Angeles Magazine, "How One Local Lingerie Company Is Shaking Up the Intimates Industry," 9 Jan. 2018

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

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1603

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conscientious Synonyms

Synonym Discussion of conscientious

upright, honest, just, conscientious, scrupulous, honorable mean having or showing a strict regard for what is morally right. upright implies a strict adherence to moral principles.