scruple

American  

[skroo-puhl] / ˈskru pəl /

noun

1. a moral or ethical consideration or standard that acts as a restraining force or inhibits certain actions.

   Synonyms:

   restraint, compunction, qualm

2. a very small portion or amount.

3. a unit of weight equal to 20 grains (1.295 grams) or 1/3 of a dram, apothecaries' weight.

4. an ancient Roman unit of weight equivalent to 1/24 of an ounce or 1/288 of an as or pound.

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verb (used without object)

scrupled, scrupling

1. to have scruples.

verb (used with object)

scrupled, scrupling

1. to have scruples about; hesitate at.

   Synonyms:

   waver

scruple British  

/ ˈskruːpəl /

noun

1. (often plural) a doubt or hesitation as to what is morally right in a certain situation

2. archaic a very small amount

3. a unit of weight equal to 20 grains (1.296 grams)

4. an ancient Roman unit of weight equivalent to approximately one twenty-fourth of an ounce

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verb

1. (obsolete when tr) to have doubts (about), esp for a moral reason

Other Word Forms

• overscruple verb
• scrupleless adjective
• unscrupled adjective

Etymology

Origin of scruple

1350–1400; (< French scrupule ) < Latin scrūpulus unit of weight, worry, precaution equivalent to scrūp ( us ) rough pebble + -ulus -ule; replacing earlier scriple, Middle English < Latin scrīpulum (variant scriptulum ) small weight, pebble, alteration of scrūpulus by association with scrīptum writing ( script; for sense relation gram ¹ )

Example Sentences

Employees in these movies come to the conclusion their boss lacks scruples, boundaries or the qualifications to have the job.

From The Wall Street Journal

The idea that Saddam would scruple to support al Qaeda seems preposterous even now.

From The Wall Street Journal

They were both these outsiders from the boroughs with tremendous life force and ambition with a shared, I think, lack of scruple or ethical core, for whom winning was the only moral measure.

From Los Angeles Times

Some may have otherwise been stolen by Western visitors with less scruples to be sold on the lucrative European and American artefacts market.

From BBC

In the chaotic tangle of dust, horseflesh and steel, finding an unexpected advantage was not difficult for those unyoked from scruple.

From Salon