Conscientious
Wishing to do what is right; diligent and careful in carrying out duties.
adjectiveConscientious
Wishing to do what is right; diligent and careful in carrying out duties.
adjectiveImagine This
Imagine a meticulous student who labels every folder, checks every citation, and reviews each paragraph twice before submitting an essay, because their conscience won’t let them hand in sloppy work.
Sounds Like
sounds like 'con-science-ous' (conscience + -ous).
Looks Like
Looks like 'conscience' + '-ous' (suggesting moral awareness and thoroughness).
Remember This
Conscientious is tied to a sense of duty and ethics; it is used to describe people who are careful, reliable, and hardworking. Do not confuse with conscious (awake) or conscience (moral sense).
Other Forms
Connect With
diligence, meticulous, scrupulous, thorough, reliable
Note
Typically describes a person's behavior or approach to tasks. Use with 'about' (conscientious about) or 'conscientiously' (adverb).
Study Deeper
- The conscientious student double-checked every citation and proofread the essay before submitting it.
- A conscientious nurse monitors patients closely and adheres to safety protocols.
From Latin conscientiosus meaning 'having knowledge with one’s conscience', formed from con- 'with' + scientia 'knowledge', ultimately related to conscience; the suffix -ous turns the root into an adjective meaning 'full of or characterized by'.
Conscience + -ous: Let your conscience guide you to be thorough and careful in everything you do.
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Interloper
nounA person who becomes involved in a place or situation where they are not wanted or invited; an intruder or meddler who intrudes on others' affairs.
Mollify
verbTo calm or soothe, especially by appeasing or softening someone's anger or emotions; to make something less severe or painful.
Extricate
verbTo free or release from a difficult or tangled situation; to disentangle and remove from constraint.
Similar Words
Related words and words with the same part of speech.
Diligence
nounThe quality of being careful, thorough, and persistent in one's work; steady, earnest effort toward a goal.
Meticulous
adjectiveShowing great attention to detail; extremely careful and precise.
Abstruse
adjectiveDifficult to understand; obscure or highly complex.
Accidental
adjectiveHappening by chance or without deliberate planning; not intended. In music, it is also a noun for a symbol that temporarily alters a pitch.
Acerbic
adjectiveSharp or biting in tone or taste; caustic or mordant in manner.
Acquiescent
adjectiveReady to agree or approve without protest; compliant.