conscience
Americannoun
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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.
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the complex of ethical and moral principles that controls or inhibits the actions or thoughts of an individual.
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an inhibiting sense of what is prudent.
I'd eat another piece of pie but my conscience would bother me.
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Obsolete. consciousness; self-knowledge.
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Obsolete. strict and reverential observance.
noun
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the sense of right and wrong that governs a person's thoughts and actions
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regulation of one's actions in conformity to this sense
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a supposed universal faculty of moral insight
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conscientiousness; diligence
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a feeling of guilt or anxiety
he has a conscience about his unkind action
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obsolete consciousness
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with regard to truth and justice
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certainly
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causing feelings of guilt or remorse
Other Word Forms
- conscienceless adjective
- consciencelessly adverb
- consciencelessness noun
- subconscience noun
Etymology
Origin of conscience
First recorded in 1175–1225; Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Latin conscientia “knowledge, awareness, conscience”; equivalent to con- + science
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
"These threats do not change our position: we cannot in good conscience accede to their request," Amodei said.
From BBC
"These threats do not change our position: we cannot in good conscience accede to their request," Anthropic chief executive Dario Amodei said in a statement.
From Barron's
Thursday, Amodei doubled down on his objections, saying that while the company continues to negotiate and wants to work with the Pentagon, “we cannot in good conscience accede to their request.”
From Los Angeles Times
“We cannot in good conscience accede to their request,” he said.
In one of the earliest accounts of that night’s events, Kate replied, “we are innocent—how good it is to have a clear conscience.”
From Literature
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
