What does diligence mean?
Diligence is the quality of working carefully, steadily, and conscientiously at a task, giving sustained effort and close attention to detail over time. It is most often used to praise someone's work ethic — a student's diligence, a craftsman's diligence, an investigator's diligence — and implies persistence rather than flashes of inspiration. The word appears frequently in professional settings, above all in the fixed expression 'due diligence', which denotes the thorough investigation a prudent person is expected to carry out before signing a contract, making an investment, or completing an acquisition. Diligence carries an unambiguously positive connotation, evoking reliability, discipline, and trustworthiness rather than mere talent. Historically it also named the large horse-drawn coaches that carried passengers across Europe before railways. Derived forms include the adjective 'diligent' and the adverb 'diligently'.
Careful and persistent effort in carrying out a task or duty; conscientious attention to detail.
"The report was compiled with great diligence over several months."
Often intensified in the fixed phrase 'due diligence'.
(Historical) A large horse-drawn public stagecoach used for long-distance travel, especially in continental Europe.
"They boarded the diligence at dawn for the long journey to Lyon."
Now chiefly historical or literary.
Rarely used in the plural except when referring to multiple historical stagecoaches; the abstract quality is normally treated as uncountable.
"The museum displays several diligences from the coaching era."
The phrase 'due diligence' traces back to this one little noun — it now underpins billions of dollars in mergers and acquisitions every year.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of diligence
Diligence comes from the Latin 'diligentia', meaning attentiveness or carefulness, derived from the verb 'diligere', 'to esteem highly' or 'to take care', itself formed from 'dis-' ('apart') plus 'legere' ('to pick out, choose'). This same root 'legere' gives English a wide family of words, including 'elect', 'select', and 'intelligent'. The word entered Middle English via Old French around the 14th century, and its historical sense of a stagecoach arose in French before passing into English in the 17th century.
Related word forms
How diligence is actually used
Diligence carries a strongly positive connotation of steady, unglamorous effort rather than brilliance or speed; it is common in formal, professional, and academic contexts. In legal and business usage, 'due diligence' has become a fixed technical term meaning the investigation reasonably expected before entering an agreement.
Easily confused with diligence
Though the two words sound alike, diligence refers to hardworking carefulness, while intelligence refers to mental ability or information gathered about an enemy or competitor.