conscientiousness

noun

con·​sci·​en·​tious·​ness ˌkän(t)-shē-ˈen(t)-shəs-nəs How to pronounce conscientiousness (audio)
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

Examples of conscientiousness in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web The research delves into how our faces can be a roadmap to understanding traits like extroversion, neuroticism, openness, agreeableness and conscientiousness. Kurt Knutsson, Fox News, 20 Oct. 2023 There’s a real conscientiousness on my part to try to meet people halfway — because most people don’t know what an audio drama is. Ariel Shapiro, The Verge, 3 Oct. 2023 Mark Zuckerberg’s intelligence, energy, and conscientiousness are tremendous. Washington Post, 7 Feb. 2022 And hearing the interview did not affect the views of participants about the job candidate’s conscientiousness. Jasmine Browley, Essence, 6 Sep. 2023 This means, 143 is most similar in meaning to the numerological understanding of 4, a number which symbolizes stability and conscientiousness. Kate Franke, Woman's Day, 21 Aug. 2023 The other four categories are openness to experience, conscientiousness, extraversion and neuroticism. USA TODAY, 4 Aug. 2023 The research, published Wednesday in the journal PLOS ONE, found declines in extroversion, openness, agreeableness and conscientiousness among adults, with the most dramatic shifts displayed in people under 30. Jacquelyne Germain, Smithsonian Magazine, 30 Sep. 2022 Self-control falls under conscientiousness and is usually associated with someone who is also an orderly person and a hard worker. Sara Novak, Discover Magazine, 9 Mar. 2022 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'conscientiousness.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1631, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of conscientiousness was circa 1631

Dictionary Entries Near conscientiousness

Cite this Entry

“Conscientiousness.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/conscientiousness. Accessed 7 Dec. 2023.

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