conscientious

C3O1N1S1C3I1E1N1T1I1O1U1S1
UK/ˌkɒn.ʃiˈɛn.ʃəs/US/ˌkɑn.ʃiˈɛn.ʃəs/

adjective

Thorough, careful, or vigilant in one’s task performance; painstaking.

“The advice of wise and conscientious people.”

Similar
faithfulpainstakingscrupulouscareful
Opposite
capriciousimpulsivethoughtlessunconscientious
OriginMiddle French conscientieux ← Medieval Latin cōnscientiōsus →
Less commonScrabble 17
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Meanings

adjectiveconscientious (comparative more conscientious, superlative most conscientious)

comparative more conscientious · superlative most conscientious

  1. Thorough, careful, or vigilant in one’s task performance; painstaking.

    He was a thoughtful and conscientious worker.

  2. Influenced by conscience; principled; governed by a strict regard to the dictates of conscience, or by the known or supposed rules of right and wrong (said of a person).

    The advice of wise and conscientious people.

    Synonyms: faithful

Synonyms & antonyms

adjectiveInfluenced by conscience; principled; governed by a strict regard to the dictates of conscience, or by the known or supposed rules of right and wrong (said of a person).

Similar
faithful
Opposite
capriciousimpulsivethoughtless

More synonyms by meaning

adjectivecharacterized by extreme care and great effort

Similar
painstakingscrupulouscareful

adjectiveguided by or in accordance with conscience or sense of right and wrong

Opposite
unconscientious
Also see
carefulfastidiousfinickylily-handedmeticulousminutenittypainstakingparticularpernicketypunctiliousscrupulousstrict

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

  1. Medieval Latincōnscientiōsus
  2. Middle Frenchconscientieux
  3. Englishconscientious

From Middle French conscientieux, from Medieval Latin cōnscientiōsus. Its English equivalent could possibly be analyzed as conscient + -ous. See more at conscience.

More words from Middle French, Medieval Latin

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Ancient Greek εὐσυνείδητος
  • εὐσυνείδητος (eusuneídētos)thorough, careful, or vigilant
Bulgarian добросъвестен, съвестен
  • добросъвестен (dobrosăvesten)thorough, careful, or vigilant
  • съвестен (săvesten)thorough, careful, or vigilant
  • съзнателен (săznatelen)influenced by conscience
Chinese Mandarin 认真的, 投入的
  • 认真的thorough, careful, or vigilant
  • 投入的thorough, careful, or vigilant
Czech svědomitý
  • svědomitýthorough, careful, or vigilant
Danish samvittighedsfuld, pligtopfyldende
  • samvittighedsfuldthorough, careful, or vigilant
  • pligtopfyldendethorough, careful, or vigilant
Dutch consciëntieus, nauwgezet
  • consciëntieusthorough, careful, or vigilant
  • nauwgezetthorough, careful, or vigilant
  • plichtsbewustthorough, careful, or vigilant
  • zorgvuldigthorough, careful, or vigilant
  • consciëntieusinfluenced by conscience
  • gewetensvolinfluenced by conscience
Esperanto konscienca
  • konsciencathorough, careful, or vigilant
Finnish tunnollinen, tunnontarkka
  • tunnollinenthorough, careful, or vigilant
  • tunnontarkkathorough, careful, or vigilant
French consciencieux
  • consciencieuxthorough, careful, or vigilant
German gewissenhaft, Gewissens-
  • gewissenhaftthorough, careful, or vigilant
  • Gewissens-influenced by conscience
  • dem Gewissen verpflichtetinfluenced by conscience
  • auf dem Gewissen beruhendinfluenced by conscience
Greek ευσυνείδητος
  • ευσυνείδητος (efsyneíditos)thorough, careful, or vigilant
Hungarian lelkiismeretes
  • lelkiismeretesthorough, careful, or vigilant
Icelandic samviskusamur
  • samviskusamurthorough, careful, or vigilant
Italian coscienzioso
  • coscienziosothorough, careful, or vigilant
Latin pius
  • piusthorough, careful, or vigilant
Latvian apzinīgi
  • apzinīgithorough, careful, or vigilant
Māori urupū
  • urupūthorough, careful, or vigilant
Norwegian Bokmål samvittighetsfull, samvittighetsfull
  • samvittighetsfullthorough, careful, or vigilant
  • samvittighetsfullinfluenced by conscience
Persian باوجدان, وظیفهشناس
  • باوجدان (bâvojdân)thorough, careful, or vigilant
  • وظیفهشناس (vazife-šenâs)thorough, careful, or vigilant
Polish skrupulatny, sumienny
  • skrupulatnythorough, careful, or vigilant
  • sumiennythorough, careful, or vigilant
Portuguese consciencioso
  • conscienciosothorough, careful, or vigilant
Romanian conștiincios
  • conștiinciosthorough, careful, or vigilant
Russian добросо́вестный, созна́тельный
  • добросо́вестный (dobrosóvestnyj)thorough, careful, or vigilant
  • созна́тельный (soznátelʹnyj)thorough, careful, or vigilant
  • че́стный (čéstnyj)thorough, careful, or vigilant
Spanish concienzudo
  • concienzudothorough, careful, or vigilant
Swedish samvetsgrann, plikttrogen
  • samvetsgrannthorough, careful, or vigilant
  • plikttrogenthorough, careful, or vigilant
  • samvetsöminfluenced by conscience
Ukrainian сумлі́нний, добросо́вісний
  • сумлі́нний (sumlínnyj)thorough, careful, or vigilant
  • добросо́вісний (dobrosóvisnyj)thorough, careful, or vigilant
  • сумлі́нний (sumlínnyj)influenced by conscience
  • добросо́вісний (dobrosóvisnyj)influenced by conscience
Cite this entry
APA

conscientious. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/conscientious

MLA

“conscientious.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/conscientious. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “conscientious,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/conscientious.

Source: conscientious on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.