diligence

1 of 2

noun (1)

dil·​i·​gence ˈdi-lə-jən(t)s How to pronounce diligence (audio)
1
a
: steady, earnest, and energetic effort : devoted and painstaking work and application to accomplish an undertaking : assiduity
showed great diligence in tracking down the story
He had earned universal respect for his integrity, fairness, and diligence.John L. Sanders
b
obsolete : speed, haste
Go, hence with diligence!Shakespeare
2
law : the attention and care legally expected or required of a person (such as a party to a contract) see also due diligence

diligence

2 of 2

noun (2)

: stagecoach
The railway had driven coach companies out of business …. Once, the journey had taken three days by diligence.Graham Robb

Examples of diligence in a Sentence

Noun (1) through the diligence and ingenuity of a single detective, the gang's ringleader was finally caught
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Pedro Sardinas is an outstanding senior at Southport High School who stands out for his dedication and diligence in coursework. Caroline Beck, The Indianapolis Star, 11 Oct. 2024 Routine and diligence bring certainty, organization, and direction toward attaining one’s goals and hopes. Lisa Stardust, Peoplemag, 6 Sep. 2024 These failures of diligence, communication and competence got Sainvil a public reprimand and ordered to the Florida Bar’s Ethics School and Professionalism Workshop. David J. Neal, Miami Herald, 11 July 2024 That level of abruptness and lack of diligence is…not very surprising. Paul Tassi, Forbes, 9 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for diligence 

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

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Latin diligentia, from diligent-, diligens — see diligent

Noun (2)

French, literally, haste, from Middle French, persevering application

First Known Use

Noun (1)

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Noun (2)

1742, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of diligence was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near diligence

Cite this Entry

“Diligence.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/diligence. Accessed 2 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

diligence

noun
dil·​i·​gence
ˈdil-ə-jən(t)s
: careful and continued work : industry

Legal Definition

diligence

noun
dil·​i·​gence ˈdi-lə-jəns How to pronounce diligence (audio)
: earnest and persistent application of effort especially as required by law
also : care sense 1 see also due diligence

More from Merriam-Webster on diligence

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