diligent

adjective dil·i·gent \ˈdi-lə-jənt\

Definition of DILIGENT

: characterized by steady, earnest, and energetic effort : painstaking <a diligent worker>

— dil·i·gent·ly adverb

See diligent defined for kids

Examples of DILIGENT

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
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Origin 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

First Known Use: 14th century

Related to DILIGENT

Synonyms: active, assiduous, bustling, busy, employed, engaged, hopping, industrious, laborious, occupied, sedulous, tied-up, working

Antonyms: idle, inactive, unbusy, unemployed, unoccupied

Synonym Discussion of DILIGENT

busy, industrious, diligent, assiduous, sedulous mean actively engaged or occupied. busy chiefly stresses activity as opposed to idleness or leisure <too busy to spend time with the children>. industrious implies characteristic or habitual devotion to work <industrious employees>. diligent suggests earnest application to some specific object or pursuit <very diligent in her pursuit of a degree>. assiduous stresses careful and unremitting application <assiduous practice>. sedulous implies painstaking and persevering application <a sedulous investigation of the murder>.

DILIGENTLY Defined for Kids