conscience

[ kon-shuhns ]

/ ˈkɒn ʃəns /

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See synonyms for: conscience / conscienceless on Thesaurus.com

noun

the inner sense of what is right or wrong in one's conduct or motives, impelling one toward right action: to follow the dictates of conscience.

the complex of ethical and moral principles that controls or inhibits the actions or thoughts of an individual.

an inhibiting sense of what is prudent: I'd eat another piece of pie but my conscience would bother me.

conscientiousness.

Obsolete. consciousness; self-knowledge.

Obsolete. strict and reverential observance.

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Idioms about conscience

have something on one's conscience, to feel guilty about something, as an act that one considers wrong: She behaves as if she had something on her conscience.

in all conscience,

in all reason and fairness.
certainly; assuredly.

Also in conscience.

Origin of conscience

1175–1225; Middle English <Anglo-French <Latin conscientia knowledge, awareness, conscience. See con-, science

OTHER WORDS FROM conscience

con·science·less, adjectivecon·science·less·ly, adverbcon·science·less·ness, nounsub·con·science, noun

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH conscience

conscience , conscious

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

How to use conscience in a sentence

So for that reason alone I never seriously considered it, but I felt pushed in that direction by my conscience while I was researching the book.
Artisanal American Cheese Was Finally on Top of the World, and Then the World Fell Apart|Jaya Saxena|October 5, 2020|Eater
Amnesty International recognized Victoria Biran a prisoner of conscience, deprived of her liberty solely for peacefully exercising their human rights, and her case is emblematic of thousands of persons in Belarus detained in recent weeks.
Belarus protests hit home|Viachaslau Bortnik|October 3, 2020|Washington Blade
“But the content of a man’s character or a woman’s character to serve in that capacity is more important than any other issue that I have to consider as a matter of conscience,” he added.
Election live updates: Debate commission says it will change structure to ensure more ‘orderly discussion’|John Wagner, Felicia Sonmez, Amy B Wang|September 30, 2020|Washington Post
Some teams among the bottom half of their league’s seeds — such as the Yankees and Astros — cannot, in good conscience, be considered “Cinderellas.”
What To Watch For In The Wildest MLB Playoffs Ever|Neil Paine (neil.paine@fivethirtyeight.com)|September 28, 2020|FiveThirtyEight

However, it doesn’t seem to make sense to your pesky conscience.
Does Pre-Confessing Clear You of Sexual Causality?|Eugene Robinson|September 20, 2020|Ozy
They're not just conscienceless industrial killing machines.
Welcome Our New Robot Artist Overlords!|David Frum|February 1, 2013|DAILY BEAST
There was always “that dreadful Southern vivacity” and the locals with the “conscienceless” eyes.
Best of Brit Lit|Peter Stothard|June 5, 2009|DAILY BEAST
This is so important that I should hold it conscienceless to engage in the profession of criminology without knowing the dialects.
Criminal Psychology|Hans Gross
So far as decent speech could compass it, I have ever sought to tell her what a conscienceless villain you are.
The Master of Appleby|Francis Lynde
But first of all, with characteristic stealth, the conscienceless half-breed had begun his journey with a comfortable nap.
The Castaways of Pete's Patch|Carroll Watson Rankin
In business relations he is as conscienceless as Tamerlane, who built a mountain of skulls as a monument to himself.
Little Journeys to the Homes of the Great - Volume 12|Elbert Hubbard
It was gall to the conscienceless junior to be thus baldly snubbed.
Marjorie Dean, College Senior|Pauline Lester

British Dictionary definitions for conscience

conscience

/ (ˈkɒnʃəns) /

noun

the sense of right and wrong that governs a person's thoughts and actions
regulation of one's actions in conformity to this sense
a supposed universal faculty of moral insight

conscientiousness; diligence

a feeling of guilt or anxietyhe has a conscience about his unkind action

obsolete consciousness

in conscience or in all conscience

with regard to truth and justice
certainly

on one's conscience causing feelings of guilt or remorse

Derived forms of conscience

conscienceless, adjective

Word Origin for conscience

C13: from Old French, from Latin conscientia knowledge, consciousness, from conscīre to know; see conscious

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Medical definitions for conscience

conscience

[ kŏn′shəns ]

The awareness of a moral or ethical aspect to one's conduct together with the urge to prefer right over wrong.

The part of the superego that judges the ethical nature of one's actions and thoughts and then transmits such determinations to the ego for consideration.

Other Idioms and Phrases with conscience

conscience

see have a clear conscience; in conscience.

conscience

Idioms about conscience

Origin of conscience

OTHER WORDS FROM conscience

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH conscience

Words related to conscience

How to use conscience in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for conscience

Derived forms of conscience

Word Origin for conscience

Medical definitions for conscience

Other Idioms and Phrases with conscience