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

• carefulness
• attention
• scrupulousness
• meticulousness
• care
• precision

Examples of conscientiousness in a Sentence

finished the last details with as much conscientiousness as the first

Recent Examples on the Web

Low conscientiousness was another attribute. —Lindsey Leake, NBC news, 8 Oct. 2025

But many traits, including conscientiousness and overall happiness, are heavily influenced by parental actions, writes Brooks. —Tom Huddleston Jr., CNBC, 17 Sep. 2025

People can deliberately cultivate more conscientiousness, boost their sociability or soften their neurotic edges. —Dave Winsborough, Forbes.com, 10 Sep. 2025

Getty Images In the study, researchers crafted job adverts that called for a candidate high in one of six personality factors including honesty-humility, emotionality, extroversion, agreeableness, conscientiousness, and openness to experience. —Melissa Fleur Afshar, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 Sep. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1631, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for conscientiousness

• pretentiousness