4 "Due diligence" is a legal term to describe when one has exercised an appropriate level of caution or investigation prior to acting or making a decision. To "do due diligence" is an attempt to use the legal term in a grammatically inappropriate way.
I've been coming across the verb "diligence" more and more in internal documents (either as "to diligence" or "diligencing"). I was under the impression that this word could only be used as a noun.
Can "diligence" be used as a verb? - English Language & Usage Stack ...
As Minty notes in a comment beneath the posted question, Mike Pompeo's quote uses two idiomatic phrases side by side: "to do diligence" and "to err on the side of caution." The latter is much more common in modern English than the former, but both may be found (in various permutations).
Is "do one’s diligence and err on the side of caution" an idiom?
I recently used "assiduity" over "diligence" in a letter of recommendation because I wanted to emphasize the student's earnest and unremitting application, as opposed to just an ability to sit there and finish his work. To me personally, assiduous is the word that leaves less room to doubt the value of the work, while diligent seems more ...
1 "Due diligence" originally meant "necessary diligence" or perhaps "expected diligence", and "due" expressed that a certain amount was required to satisfy a legal process: the amount of effort necessary. It's similar to saying an amount of money is due to settle a debt. Wikipedia has a reasonable introduction.
Is "We used enough due diligence to prepare" the proper usage of the ...