diligence, large, four-wheeled, closed French stagecoach employed for long journeys. It was also used in England and was popular in both countries in the 18th and 19th centuries.
Diligences, some of which held up to 16 people, were divided into two or three compartments. The driver rode on a seat directly above the front wheels, on the same level as, but unattached to, the coach body, on a seat on the body, or postilion. A famous diligence line operated between Paris and Lyon.