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sedulous

UK/ˈsɛd͡ʒʊləs/US/ˈsɛd͡ʒələs/
adjectiveC2Very rare — outside the 30,000 commonest English words, so you will meet it in writing rather than in speechToo rare in one of the two pools to compare — fewer than 20 uses in speech or in writing

Sedulous means working with steady untiring care. Sedulous attention to detail.

It praises persistence rather than brilliance, which is why it suits scholars and clerks. Sedulous is a warmer word than diligent and much rarer.

Definitions of sedulous

  1. 1adjectivesedulousWorking with steady untiring care.C2

    “Nine years of sedulous checking produced one very short book.”

sedulous is a quality.

Where it comes from

Latin sedulus, diligent, probably from sedulo, meaning without deceit or sincerely.

  1. Proto-Indo-European

    *del- — to count, reckon

  2. Latin

    sēdulus — diligent, industrious, sedulous; solicitous; unremitting; zealous

  3. English, today

    sedulous

Built from

  • sēdulō · Latin — diligently; carefully; purposely; zealously
  • dolus · Latin — deceit, deception; evil intent, malice

From Latin sēdulus (“diligent, industrious, sedulous; solicitous; unremitting; zealous”) + -ous. Sēdulus is probably derived from sēdulō (“diligently; carefully; purposely; zealously”) (possibly from sē- + dolō (ablative singular of dolus (“deceit, deception; evil intent, malice”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European del- (“to count, reckon”))) + -us.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA

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