Make Your Point > Archived Issues > SEDULOUS

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explore the archives: Sedulous people work carefully, consistently, persistently. So, you might guess (incorrectly) that sedulous comes from the Latin sedere, "to sit," since you often sit down for a long time to work hard at a task. But, no. Sedulous has a murkier past; its roots literally mean "without deception," so we have to connect the dots from "not deceptive" to "sincere" to "diligent" to get to the meaning of sedulous. But let's go back to the Latin sedere, "to sit." Can you think of a four-syllable word that came from sedere for an obvious reason? It means "spending most of your time sitting down." make your point with... "SEDULOUS" Sedulous people work carefully on things for a long time, and sedulous things are constant and steady and careful. Pronunciation: SED juh luss Part of speech: Adjective. (Adjectives are describing words, like "large" or "late." They can be used in two ways: 1. Right before a noun, as in "a sedulous thing" and "a sedulous person." 2. After a linking verb, as in "It was sedulous" and "He is sedulous.") Other forms: sedulously, sedulousness/sedulity ("sih DYOO lih tee") How to use it: Talk about sedulous people, like sedulous workers, sedulous students, sedulous observers, sedulous waiters, sedulous editors, etc. When we talk about a sedulous thing, it's usually sedulous attention, care, examination, cultivation, study, endeavors, and efforts. (Or the opposite idea: "sedulous avoidance.") Less commonly, we'll talk about more specific sedulous activities or emotions, like sedulous assistance, sedulous observation, sedulous civility, or sedulous calmness. If you like, you can be abstract and talk about sedulous afternoons and sedulous years, sedulous hands and sedulous eyes, etc. Sometimes we'll talk about someone who's "sedulous to do something," "sedulous in some activity," or "sedulous in doing something." Here are some examples: "she's sedulous to maintain her self-control," "he's sedulous to consider others' feelings," "they're sedulous to conceal this," "he's sedulous to bring laughter to the sick;" "she's sedulous in her duties," "we're sedulous in maintaining the tradition." examples: In "The Sedulous Ape," Robert Louis Stevenson describes how his sedulous imitations of writers like Wordsworth and Defoe shaped him into a skilled writer. Amused by her sedulity, I watched as her tiny fingers removed each sprinkle from the scoop of ice cream. study it now: Look away from the screen to explain the definition in your own words. You’ll know you understand what "sedulous" means when you can explain it without saying "diligent" or "persistent." try it out: Think of someone you know who works steadily and carefully. Fill in the blanks: "(Person) is a sedulous (type of worker)." Example: "Emily is a sedulous gardener." before you review: Spend at least 20 seconds occupying your mind with the game below. Then try the review questions. Don’t go straight to the review now—let your working memory empty out first. Our game this month is called One-Word Titles! Rely on your cultural knowledge, your vocabulary, or both as we consider the power and simplicity of one-word titles. We'll recall movies, songs, books, television shows, and musicals with brief, meaningful, well-chosen titles of only one word each. Let's play! From yesterday: The title of this television series, which debuted in 1964 and was created by Merv Griffin, means both "danger" and "an equally matched game." The title is ________.​ Answer: Jeopardy! (I actually am excited about this word, but the exclamation point is part of the show's title.) Try this today: The title of this television series, which debuted in 1981 in the US and was created by Richard and Esther Shapiro, usually means "a line of rulers all in the same family." But its oldest meaning is "power, sovereignty," and its newest meaning is "a series of athletic successes." The title is _______. review today's word: 1. The opposite of SEDULOUS is A. PERFUNCTORY B. HUMOROUS C. ACTIVE 2. Sedulous in its citing of sources, the article _____. A. is followed by a long and heavily annotated list of them B. leaves the reader eager to fact-check its unsupported claims C. refers to both commonly known facts and unproven generalizations Answers are below. a final word: To be a sponsor and include your ad in an issue, please contact Liesl at Liesl@HiloTutor.com Disclaimer: Word meanings presented here are expressed in plain language and are limited to common, useful applications only. Readers interested in authoritative and multiple definitions of words are encouraged to check a dictionary. Likewise, word meanings, usage, and pronunciations are limited to American English; these elements may vary across world Englishes. Answers to review questions: 1. A 2. A