diligence

Persistent careful work

Diligence is careful, persistent effort toward a task or goal.

It suggests thoroughness and steady attention rather than bursts of enthusiasm: She reviewed the contract with diligence.

Due diligence is the reasonable investigation expected before entering a business transaction or making a decision: The investors conducted due diligence before the acquisition.

effort

hard work

Sustained strenuous effort

  • endeavorPurposeful sustained attempt
  • toilStrenuous, prolonged effort
  • laborStrenuous effort; also childbirth

striving · dedication · commitment · application · industry · work ethic · drive · energy · exertion · conscientiousness

perseverance

persistence

Continuing despite difficulty

determination · grit · fortitude · resolve · patience · consistency · stamina · doggedness · persisting · unwavering

meticulousness

precision

Accuracy of measurement

scrupulousness · fastidiousness · exactness · methodicalness · carefulness · punctiliousness · painstaking · rigor · scrutiny · particularity

virtue

rectitude

Moral straightness

accountability · self-discipline · temperance · prudence · trustworthiness · reliability · dependability · honor · dutiful · moral fiber

legal

investigation

Formal examination of facts

  • auditFormal accounts examination
  • vettingEvaluating suitability through investigation
  • verificationProving something accurate

review · examination · inspection · assessment · scrutiny · compliance · background check · appraisal · evaluation · inquiry

Categories
Opposites
effort and industriousness

diligencelaziness

Unwillingness to exert oneself

sloth · idleness · indolence · lethargy · inactivity

care and attention to detail

diligencenegligence

Failure to exercise care

carelessness · neglect · sloppiness · inattention · heedlessness

persistence and consistency

diligenceinconstancy

Lack of steadiness

fickleness · inconsistency · erraticness · unreliability · irresolution

Phrases
Family

diligent, diligently

Familiarity
Top 50,000
Profile
Used worldwide · Timeless · Abstract · Positive · Everyday, not technical · Rated G