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sedulous

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary

English

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WOTD – 27 April 2020

Etymology

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From Latin sēdulus (“diligent, industrious, sedulous; solicitous; unremitting; zealous”) + English -ous. Sēdulus is probably derived from sēdulō (“diligently; carefully; purposely; zealously”) (possibly from sē- (prefix meaning ‘without’) + dolō (ablative singular of dolus (“deceit, deception; evil intent, malice”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *del- (“to count, reckon”))) + -us (suffix forming adjectives).[1]

Pronunciation

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Adjective

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sedulous (comparative more sedulous, superlative most sedulous)

  1. Of a person: diligent in application or pursuit; constant and persevering in business or in endeavours to effect a goal; steadily industrious.
    Synonyms: assiduous; see also Thesaurus:industrious
  2. Of an activity: carried out with diligence.
    • 1650, Thomas Browne, “Of the Nearer and More Immediate Causes of Popular Errours, […]”, in Pseudodoxia Epidemica: […], 2nd edition, London: […] A[braham] Miller, for Edw[ard] Dod and Nath[aniel] Ekins, […], →OCLC, 1st book, page 14:
      Now as there are many great wits to be condemned, who have neglected the increment of Arts, and the ſedulous purſuit of knowledge; ſo are there not a few very much to be pittied, whoſe induſtry being not attended with naturall parts, they have ſweat to little purpoſe, and rolled the ſtone in vain.
    • 1886, Francis A. Leyland, “The Rev. Patrick Brontë”, in The Brontë Family: With Special Reference to Patrick Branwell Brontë [...] In Two Volumes, volume I, London: Hurst and Blackett, publishers, […], →OCLC, page 55:
      Miss [Elizabeth] Branwell's affectionate regard for her dead sister's [Maria Branwell's] children caused her to take deep interest in everything relating to them, their health, the comfort and cleanliness of their home, and the sedulous culture of their minds.
    • 1907, E.M. Forster, The Longest Journey, Part II, XVII [Uniform ed., p. 169]:
      He had much to learn about boys, and he learnt not by direct observation—for which he believed he was unfitted—but by sedulous imitation of the more experienced masters.
    • 2001, Michael Pollan, “Desire: Intoxication/Plant: Marijuana”, in The Botany of Desire: A Plant’s-Eye View of the World, New York, N.Y.: Random House, →ISBN, page 135; republished New York, N.Y.: Random House, 2014, →ISBN:
      With the right equipment, an indoor grower could create a utopia for his plants, an artificial habitat more perfect than any in nature, and his happy, happy weeds would respond. These sedulous attentions would be wasted on male plants, which are worse than useless in sinsemilla production.
    • 2010 March 9, Paul Routledge, “Scotland is turning into another country … loch, stock and barrel”, in Daily Mirror‎[1], London: Reach plc, →ISSN, →OCLC:
      The Scots have always been a fiercely independent people, but it surprised me how far this sedulous process of separation has gone already.

Derived terms

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Translations

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References

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  1. ^ Compare “sedulous, adj.”, in OED Online Paid subscription required⁠, Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1911; “sedulous, adj.”, in Lexico, Dictionary.com; Oxford University Press, 2019–2022.

Further reading

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