conscience
The ethical or moral sense of right and wrong, chiefly as it affects a person’s own behaviour and forms their attitude to their past actions.
Noun
- The ethical or moral sense of right and wrong, chiefly as it affects a person’s own behaviour and forms their attitude to their past actions.
- Your conscience is your highest authority.
- 1949, Albert Einstein, as quoted by Virgil Henshaw in Albert Einstein: Philosopher Scientist, Never do anything against conscience, even if the state demands it.
- As for Grierson, he poured liquor into himself as if it were so much soothing syrup, demonstrating that a good digestion is the highest form of good conscience. - 1938, Norman Lindsay, Age of Consent, 1st Australian...
- A personification of the moral sense of right and wrong, usually in the form of a person, a being or merely a voice that gives moral lessons and advices.
- Consciousness; thinking; awareness, especially self-awareness.
- Thus conscience does make cowards of us all; And thus the native hue of resolution Is sicklied o'er with the pale cast of thought. - c. 1599–1602 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Hamlet, Prince of...
Origin
From Middle English conscience, from Old French conscience, from Latin conscientia (“knowledge within oneself”), from consciens, present participle of conscire (“to know, to be conscious (of wrong)”), from com- (“together”) + scire (“to know”).
Forms
Related
conscientious conscientiously conscientiousness conscionable consciousness synteresis
Derived
a good conscience is a soft pillow bad conscience conscience clause conscienced conscienceless consciencelike conscience money conscience-money conscience-proof conscience round conscience vote consciencewise consciencism consciencist conscientious examination of conscience exile of conscience freedom of conscience guilty conscience in all conscience in conscience in good conscience liberty of conscience make conscience