noun
faithful service; diligent devotion to one's duties
A formal, literary term for conscientious and loyal service, typically in a professional or official context. Rare in everyday speech; more common in historical or ceremonial descriptions.
彼は長年にわたる勤恪の功績により表彰された。
He was commended for his many years of faithful service.
Compound of 勤 (diligence, service) and 恪 (respect, carefulness). The exact historical derivation is uncertain; the word is a Sino-Japanese term (kango) that appears in classical Chinese texts and was adopted into formal Japanese writing.