Conscientious describes someone who is scrupulous, careful, or guided by their conscience. The word originates from the Latin 'conscire,' meaning to be conscious of, or aware of guilt.
Conscientious means being governed by conscience or meticulously careful, derived from the Latin 'conscire,' meaning to be conscious or aware of guilt.
| Word | conscientious |
|---|---|
| Date | June 22, 2008 |
| Type | adjective |
| Syllables | kahn-shee-EN-shus |
| Etymology | According to American writer and editor H.L. Mencken, "Conscience is the inner voice which warns us someone may be looking." A person who is conscientious makes sure that if others are watching, they like what they see. "Conscience" and "conscientious" both come from the Latin verb "conscire," a word that means "to be conscious" or "to be conscious of guilt" and that traces back to a still older Latin word, "scire," meaning "to know." |
| Examples | Carolyn was very conscientious in her research, exploring every possible influence and outcome before preparing her final report. |
| Definition | 1 : governed by or conforming to the dictates of conscience : scrupulous 2 : meticulous, careful |
Tags: wordoftheday::adjective
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