different between diligence vs watchfulness

English

Etymology

From French diligence.

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /?d?l?d??ns/
• Hyphenation: di?li?gence
• The stage-coach sense may be pronounced as in French.

Noun

diligence (countable and uncountable, plural diligences)

1. Steady application; industry; careful work involving long-term effort.
2. The qualities of a hard worker, including conscientiousness, determination, and perseverance.
3. Carefulness.

   (Can we add an example for this sense?)

   due diligence

4. (historical, 19th century) A public stage-coach.
   • 1818, Mary Shelley, Frankenstein, Volume 1, Chapter V:

     Continuing thus, I came at length opposite to the inn at which the various diligences and carriages usually stopped.
5. (law, Scotland) The process by which persons, lands, or effects are seized for debt; process for enforcing the attendance of witnesses or the production of writings.

Synonyms

• worksomeness (rare)

Derived terms

• due diligence

Translations

Anagrams

• ceilinged

Dutch

Etymology

Borrowed from French diligence.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?di.li???ns/, /?di.li???n.s?/
• Hyphenation: di?li?gen?ce

Noun

diligence f (plural diligences)

1. (historical) A diligence, a stage-coach.

   Synonym: postkoets

French

Etymology

From Latin diligentia.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /di.li.???s/

Noun

diligence f (countable and uncountable, plural diligences)

1. (uncountable) diligence, conscientiousness
2. (uncountable) haste
3. (countable) stage-coach, diligence

Derived terms

• faire diligence

Related terms

• diligent

Descendants

• ? Dutch: diligence

Further reading

• “diligence” in Trésor de la langue française informatisé (The Digitized Treasury of the French Language).

English

Etymology

watchful +? -ness

Noun

watchfulness (countable and uncountable, plural watchfulnesses)

1. The state or quality of being watchful; alertness, vigilance or wakefulness.

   Continuous watchfulness is maintained around the clock.

   • 1665, Robert Hooke, Micrographia, Preface,^[1]

     The first thing to be undertaken in this weighty work, is a watchfulness over the failings and an inlargement of the dominion, of the Senses.

   • 1784, Samuel Johnson, letter addressed to Mr. Langton dated 25 August, 1784, cited in James Boswell, The Life of Samuel Johnson, London: Charles Dilly, 1791, Volume 2, p. 545,^[2]

     Nights of watchfulness produce torpid days […]

   • 1896, H. G. Wells, The Island of Doctor Moreau, New York: Stone & Kimball, Chapter 9, p. 82,^[3]

     Every dark form in the dimness had its ominous quality, its peculiar suggestion of alert watchfulness.

   • 1944, Neville Shute, Pastoral, London: Heinemann, Chapter 4,

     The steady rhythm of the engines, the fact that he had been sleeping badly, the boredom of a flight that he had done so many times before and did not want to do again, the long humiliation and unhappiness that was always in the background of his mind, all fought against his watchfulness.

Related terms

• watchful

Translations