Definition of sedulous
- sedulous craftsmanship
- a sedulous student
Theme music by Joshua Stamper ©2006 New Jerusalem Music/ASCAP
an impressively sedulous suitor, he was constantly sending her flowers and other tokens of his affection
No fooling-the word sedulous ultimately comes from the Latin se dolus, which literally means "without guile." Those two words were eventually melded into one, sedulo, meaning "sincerely" or "diligently," and from that root developed Latin sedulus and English "sedulous." Don’t let the "sed-" beginning mislead you; "sedulous" is not related to words such as "sedentary" or "sedate" (which derive from the Latin verb sedēre, meaning "to sit"). "Sedulous" people are not the sedate or sedentary sort. They're the hardworking types Scottish author Samuel Smiles must have had in mind when he wrote in his 1859 book Self-Help, "Sedulous attention and painstaking industry always mark the true worker."
First Known Use: 1540
in the meaning defined at sense 1
See Words from the same yearactive, assiduous, bustling, busy, diligent, employed, engaged, hopping, industrious, laborious, occupied, tied-up, working;
animated, astir, buzzing, flourishing, happening, humming, lively, thriving, vibrant;
absorbed, concentrating, engrossed, focused (also focussed), immersed, intent, preoccupied;
alive, functional, functioning, going, living, operating, operational, operative, running;
See words that rhyme with sedulous Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for sedulous Nglish: Translation of sedulous for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of sedulous for Arabic speakers
What made you want to look up sedulous? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).
Odd Habits and Quirks Quiz
Can you spell these 10 commonly misspelled words?
TAKE THE QUIZTest Your Knowledge - and learn some interesting things along the way.
TAKE THE QUIZ