dil·i·gence
ˈdi-lə-jən(t)s 
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
John L. Sanders2
law
: the attention and care legally expected or required of a person (such as a party to a contract) see also due diligence
di·li·gence
ˈdi-lə-ˌzhäⁿs
ˈdi-lə-jən(t)s
ˈdi-lə-jən(t)s
: stagecoach
The railway had driven coach companies out of business …. Once, the journey had taken three days by diligence.—Graham Robb
Graham RobbExamples 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
James Wood, New Yorker, 14 July 2025
After more than a decade of diligence and care, Brodt has helped bring that feral cat population down from around 200 to less than 50.
—Idaho Statesman, 11 July 2025
What makes finding high-upside high school players possible, Barber said, is diligence from his staff of 30.
—Charlotte Varnes, New York Times, 11 July 2025
In contrast, the teams that are successfully launching and deriving value from AI adoption pair regulatory diligence with best-in-class UX —iterating on plain‑language copy, navigation cues, and visual design alongside patients and clinicians.
—Chase Feiger, Forbes.com, 9 July 2025
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Noun
Dyer writes that his father’s nature expressed itself mostly in caution, diligence, a kind of austerity.
—James Wood, New Yorker, 14 July 2025
After more than a decade of diligence and care, Brodt has helped bring that feral cat population down from around 200 to less than 50.
—Idaho Statesman, 11 July 2025
What makes finding high-upside high school players possible, Barber said, is diligence from his staff of 30.
—Charlotte Varnes, New York Times, 11 July 2025
In contrast, the teams that are successfully launching and deriving value from AI adoption pair regulatory diligence with best-in-class UX —iterating on plain‑language copy, navigation cues, and visual design alongside patients and clinicians.
—Chase Feiger, Forbes.com, 9 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for diligence
Cite this Entry
“Diligence.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/diligence. Accessed 19 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationLegal Definition
diligence
noun
dil·i·gence
ˈdi-lə-jəns
: earnest and persistent application of effort especially as required by law
also
: care sense 1 see also due diligence
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