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
Kathleen Wong, USA TODAY, 7 Mar. 2025
The procedure includes a 10-month due diligence period, Lyp said, and NIPSCO is already reviewing the plans.
—Philip Potempa, Chicago Tribune, 5 Mar. 2025
To prevent cyber fear from becoming productivity paralysis, advocates should budget a right-sized amount of time for due diligence, during which the following steps can be conducted with multiple vendors:
• Check for conflicts of interest.
—Ogie Sheehy, Forbes, 5 Mar. 2025
The claim concerned the rushed dealing to infuse money into the fledgling league, a rush that deprived DCP of a chance to conduct the type of due diligence that might have spotted some of the problems that later surfaced.
—Jacob Feldman, Sportico.com, 4 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for due diligence
Cite this Entry
“Due diligence.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/due%20diligence. Accessed 14 Mar. 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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