conscientious
adjective
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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 approve of what they see. This is true for someone who is “governed by their conscience” as the oldest sense of the word is defined—as in “a conscientious objector to the war”—but it is also true for the conscientious person paying close, careful attention to the task at hand. Conscientious came to English from French, centuries after Middle English had adopted conscience from Old French; both ultimately come from Latin scire, “to know.”
Examples of conscientious in a Sentence
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.
Emily Mae Czachor
july 13, CBS News, 13 July 2025
More than 70% of participants were classified as open-minded, conscientious, and emotionally stable, suggesting the sample may not reflect the broader personality distribution in the general population, the authors noted.
—Brian Mastroianni, Health, 9 July 2025
It was developed with deep dedication to preserving Messinia’s natural environment and heritage, with conscientious actions taken to preserve the biodiversity that’s unique to the area and minimize using natural resources.
—Robin Raven, Forbes.com, 7 June 2025
As any stunt coordinator or conscientious director will tell you, the trick is to make the stunt look dangerous but not be dangerous.
—Thomas Doherty, HollywoodReporter, 14 June 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Conscientious.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/conscientious. Accessed 18 Jul. 2025.
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conscientious
adjective
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