conscientious

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

Definition of conscientious

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

a conscientious public servant

2 :meticulous, careful

a conscientious listener

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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

Toscanini was conscientious in music and other realms.

— jay nordlinger, National Review, "Maestrissimo, Part I," 28 Aug. 2017
May all our friends be as conscientious as Chris Hemsworth.

— macaela mackenzie, Allure, "Chris Hemsworth May Have Photoshopped Anthony Hopkins's Sweat Marks," 23 Aug. 2017
Dear Miss Manners: I’ve always ridden buses and subways to work, and make a conscientious effort to make my seat available for the elderly, for pregnant women, for people with obvious disabilities and for small children.

— miss manners, star-telegram, "A glare may not go far on a city bus," 30 July 2017
Conscientious (and frequently exhausted) mothers awoke at the crack of dawn to stand over a hot, wood-burning stove for hours on end, cooking and stirring gruels or mush made of barley, cracked wheat, or oats.

— howard markel, Smithsonian, "The Secret Ingredient in Kellogg’s Corn Flakes Is Seventh-Day Adventism," 28 July 2017
Not surprisingly, ways to foster empathy and gratitude are big topics on the (conscientious) national mind right now.

— carolyn hax, Detroit Free Press, "Teaching kids gratitude," 23 July 2017
Without their attentive, honest, and conscientious service, our system would falter.

— Cincinnati.com, "Column: The importance of jury service," 19 July 2017
Our waiter was conscientious but seemed sidetracked by other tables.

— suzanne loudermilk, baltimoresun.com, "Seafood suits Johnny's, but the prices don't," 13 July 2017
In her own unfathomable bereavement, Dion was careful and conscientious with theirs.

— Vogue, "Céline Dion Takes Couture: Behind the Scenes With the Diva in Paris," 5 July 2017

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

See Words from the same year

conscientious Synonyms

Synonyms

conscionable, ethical, honest, honorable, just, moral, principled, scrupulous

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.