conscientiousness

noun

con·​sci·​en·​tious·​ness ˌkän(t)-shē-ˈen(t)-shəs-nəs 

plural conscientiousnesses

: the condition or quality of being conscientious

Apparently, the secret to a happy, healthy adulthood is learning early on to deal with disappointment and developing character traits—persistence, curiosity, conscientiousness, optimism, and self-control—to surmount it.

—Deanna Pan

Not surprisingly, they have found that people blessed with innate conscientiousness, meaning that they are organized and predictable, typically eat better and live longer than people who are disorderly.

—Gretchen Reynolds

Synonyms

• care
• carefulness
• closeness
• heed
• heedfulness
• meticulosity
• meticulousness
• pains
• scrupulousness

Examples of conscientiousness in a Sentence

finished the last details with as much conscientiousness as the first

Recent Examples on the Web

Kids who receive more maternal warmth between ages five and 10 are more likely to develop key personality traits, such as openness, conscientiousness and agreeableness. —Daniella Gray, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 May 2025

So, too, do higher levels of agreeableness and lower levels of conscientiousness. —Sam Walters, Discover Magazine, 2 May 2025

For example, assessing candidates' general mental ability (e.g., critical thinking, problem-solving and conscientiousness) is up to 62% effective at predicting employment success. —Trevor Higgs, Forbes, 5 Mar. 2025

While the dogs' own personalities had little impact on their stress levels, certain human traits—like neuroticism, conscientiousness and openness—were significant factors in how much stress the dog exhibited. —Josh Hammer, Newsweek, 14 Feb. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1631, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for conscientiousness

• pretentiousness