due diligence
noun
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Doing Your Due Diligence
Due diligence has been used since at least the mid-fifteenth century in the literal sense “requisite effort.” Centuries later, the phrase developed a legal meaning, namely, “the care that a reasonable person takes to avoid harm to other persons or their property”; in this sense, it is synonymous with another legal term, ordinary care. More recently, due diligence has extended its reach into business contexts, signifying the research a company performs before engaging in a financial transaction. This meaning may also apply to individuals: people are often advised to perform their due diligence before buying a house, signing a loan, or making any important purchase.
Examples of due diligence in a Sentence
Ernestine Siu, CNBC, 7 Feb. 2025
After all, with Venus making a grand entrance in Aries — your sixth house of due diligence and responsibility — your daily routine is about to get an upgrade.
—Valerie Mesa, People.com, 4 Feb. 2025
Miami Dolphins do due diligence at QB, RB, OL and even receiver
Dolphins general manager Chris Grier vowed to explore all options a backup quarterback role.
—C. Isaiah Smalls Ii, Miami Herald, 1 Feb. 2025
Much like the irony of using civil rights legislation to revoke DEI, watching Black women face attacks for doing due diligence in the equal rights space didn’t escape me.
—Ken Makin, The Christian Science Monitor, 31 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for due diligence 
Dictionary Entries Near due diligence
Cite this Entry
“Due diligence.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/due%20diligence. Accessed 18 Feb. 2025.
Copy CitationLegal Definition
due diligence
nouncalled also reasonable diligence
Note: Due diligence is used most often in connection with the performance of a professional or fiduciary duty, or with regard to proceeding with a court action. Due care is used more often in connection with general tort actions.
G. M. Lawrence
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