Definition of diligent
: characterized by steady, earnest, and energetic effort : painstaking a diligent worker
diligently
adverbFrom the M-W Editors
diligent was our Word of the Day on 12/07/2011. Hear the podcast!
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Examples of diligent in a Sentence
The American intelligence community's single greatest failing is its lack of good “humint”—human intelligence, the dirty, diligent, shoe-leather penetration of terror networks. —Johanna McGeary, Time, 15 Oct. 2001
Like any diligent foreign correspondent, he attends the briefings and collects face time with the officials, but he knows it's the citizens (the upstanding as well as the jailers, the whores, the black marketeers and the smugglers) who tell the truth … —Rolling Stone, 19 Sept. 1996
He was a fourth-year drama student at UCLA and diligent about such valuable actorly exercises as eavesdropping, spying, and telling complicated lies to fellow passengers on airplanes. —Michael Chabon, A Model World and Other Stories, 1991
In spite of diligent work as editor, hack writer, sea captain, and assorted other trades, he wound up poor. —Monroe K. Spears, American Ambitions, 1987
a student who has been unceasingly diligent in pursuit of a degree in mathematics
Recent Examples of diligent from the Web
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Treat all your intentional standing water with Bt every two weeks, and be diligent about accidental ponds after rain or watering.
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Principals in the district have been charged with being diligent about their hiring practices this summer, Rush said.
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The first wave of Polish pupils had a reputation for being particularly diligent.
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But of course, the season (and the skin-baring) doesn’t come without perils—namely in the form of a sunburn, which has been known to wreak havoc on even the most diligent of SPF appliers.
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Walker says the set decorator and crew make a diligent effort to source their props and furniture in nearby Atlanta.
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Cleanup is generally left to neighbors, but not all are as diligent as the West Side.
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But Crader and Robertson say the animal services crew has been diligent about picking up the dead, as well as the juveniles that survive the fall and end up walking aimlessly through the neighborhood.
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Some wild mice are diligent parents, building elaborate grassy nests to keep their young safe and warm.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'diligent.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Did You Know?
You're more likely to be diligent about something if you love doing it. The etymology of diligent reflects the fact that affection can lead to energetic effort. The word, which entered English in the 14th century by way of Anglo-French, descends from the Latin verb diligere, meaning "to value or esteem highly" or "to love." Of course, you don’t need to care for the task at hand in order to be diligent, but it certainly does help!
Origin and Etymology of diligent
Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Latin diligent-, diligens, from present participle of diligere to esteem, love, from di- (from dis- apart) + legere to select — more at legend
Synonym Discussion of diligent
DILIGENT Defined for Kids
diligent
playDefinition of diligent for Students
: showing steady and earnest care and hard work a diligent search
diligently
adverbLearn More about diligent
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Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for diligent Spanish Central: Translation of diligent Nglish: Translation of diligent for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of diligent for Arabic speakers
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