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Added 28 September 2026

diligent

/ˈdɪl.ɪ.dʒənt/ adjective

In Latin: sēdulus, industrius, diligens Wiktionary

adjective Definition written for WordofTheDay.US. More about diligent at Wordnik → Where our words come from →

Having or showing care and conscientiousness in one's work or duties.
She was diligent about tracking every invoice down to the cent.

Origin

From Middle English diligent, from Old French diligent, from Latin dīligēns (“careful, attentive, diligent”), present participle of dīligō (“to love, esteem much”, literally “to choose, select”), from dī-, dis- (“apart”) + legō (“to choose”); see elect and select.

From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)

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