Definitions for conscience
ˈkɒn ʃənscon·science

Princeton's WordNet(2.00 / 2 votes)Rate this definition:

1. conscience, scruples, moral sense, sense of right and wrongnoun

   motivation deriving logically from ethical or moral principles that govern a person's thoughts and actions

2. consciencenoun

   conformity to one's own sense of right conduct

   "a person of unflagging conscience"

3. consciencenoun

   a feeling of shame when you do something immoral

   "he has no conscience about his cruelty"

Wiktionary(2.00 / 1 vote)Rate this definition:

1. consciencenoun

   The moral sense of right and wrong, chiefly as it affects one's own behaviour; inwit.

   Etymology: From conscience, from conscientia, from consciens, present participle of conscire, from com- + scire.

2. consciencenoun

   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.

   Etymology: From conscience, from conscientia, from consciens, present participle of conscire, from com- + scire.

3. consciencenoun

   Consciousness; thinking; awareness, especially self-awareness.

   Etymology: From conscience, from conscientia, from consciens, present participle of conscire, from com- + scire.

Webster Dictionary(5.00 / 1 vote)Rate this definition:

1. Consciencenoun

   knowledge of one's own thoughts or actions; consciousness

   Etymology: [F. conscience, fr. L. conscientia, fr. consciens, p. pr. of conscire to know, to be conscious; con- + scire to know. See Science.]

2. Consciencenoun

   the faculty, power, or inward principle which decides as to the character of one's own actions, purposes, and affections, warning against and condemning that which is wrong, and approving and prompting to that which is right; the moral faculty passing judgment on one's self; the moral sense

   Etymology: [F. conscience, fr. L. conscientia, fr. consciens, p. pr. of conscire to know, to be conscious; con- + scire to know. See Science.]

3. Consciencenoun

   the estimate or determination of conscience; conviction or right or duty

   Etymology: [F. conscience, fr. L. conscientia, fr. consciens, p. pr. of conscire to know, to be conscious; con- + scire to know. See Science.]

4. Consciencenoun

   tenderness of feeling; pity

   Etymology: [F. conscience, fr. L. conscientia, fr. consciens, p. pr. of conscire to know, to be conscious; con- + scire to know. See Science.]

Freebase(2.00 / 3 votes)Rate this definition:

1. Conscience

   Conscience is an aptitude, faculty, intuition or judgment of the intellect that distinguishes right from wrong. Moral judgment may derive from values or norms. In psychological terms conscience is often described as leading to feelings of remorse when a human commits actions that go against his/her moral values and to feelings of rectitude or integrity when actions conform to such norms. The extent to which conscience informs moral judgment before an action and whether such moral judgments are or should be based in reason has occasioned debate through much of the history of Western philosophy. Religious views of conscience usually see it as linked to a morality inherent in all humans, to a beneficent universe and/or to divinity. The diverse ritualistic, mythical, doctrinal, legal, institutional and material features of religion may not necessarily cohere with experiential, emotive, spiritual or contemplative considerations about the origin and operation of conscience. Common secular or scientific views regard the capacity for conscience as probably genetically determined, with its subject probably learned or imprinted as part of a culture.

Chambers 20th Century Dictionary(1.00 / 1 vote)Rate this definition:

1. Conscience

   kon′shens, n. the knowledge of our own acts and feelings as right or wrong: sense of duty: scrupulousness: (Shak.) understanding: the faculty or principle by which we distinguish right from wrong.—adjs. Con′science-proof, unvisited by any compunctions of conscience; Con′science-smit′ten, stung by conscience; Conscien′tious, regulated by a regard to conscience: scrupulous.—adv. Conscien′tiously.—n. Conscien′tiousness.—adj. Con′scionable, governed or regulated by conscience.—n. Con′scionableness.—adv. Con′scionably.—Conscience clause, a clause in a law, affecting religious matters, to relieve persons of conscientious scruples, esp. one to prevent their children being compelled to undergo particular religious instruction; Conscience money, money given to relieve the conscience, by discharging a claim previously evaded; Case of conscience, a question in casuistry.—Good, or Bad, conscience, an approving or reproving conscience.—In all conscience, certainly: (coll.) by all that is right and fair.—Make a matter of conscience, to act according to conscience: to have scruples about.—My conscience! a vulgar exclamation of astonishment, or an asseveration.—Speak one's conscience (Shak.), to speak frankly: to give one's opinion. [Fr.,—L. conscientia, knowledge—conscīre, to know well—con, and scīre, to know.]

The Roycroft Dictionary(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. conscience

   1. The muzzle of the will. 2. The Pecksniffian mask of the fundamental Bill Sykes. 3. The aspiration of Rosinante to be Pegasus.

U.S. National Library of Medicine(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. Conscience

   The cognitive and affective processes which constitute an internalized moral governor over an individual's moral conduct.

The Foolish Dictionary, by Gideon Wurdz(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. CONSCIENCE

   The fear of being found out.

Editors Contribution(5.00 / 1 vote)Rate this definition:

1. conscience

   The act, fact, quality, and ability to use our mind, soul, spirit, passion and consciousness as a form of sane, logical and rational power and motivation and a form of ethical and moral principles that govern our thoughts and actions.

   Our conscience is an important element of our mind and soul and contributes to our sense of justness, fairness, actions, motivation and authority.

   Submitted by MaryC on April 3, 2020  

Matched Categories

1. • Ethical Motive
   • Morality
   • Shame

British National Corpus

1. Nouns Frequency

   Rank popularity for the word 'conscience' in Nouns Frequency: #2352

How to pronounce conscience?

1. Alex

   US English

   Daniel

   British

   Karen

   Australian

   Veena

   Indian

How to say conscience in sign language?

Numerology

1. Chaldean Numerology

   The numerical value of conscience in Chaldean Numerology is: 4

2. Pythagorean Numerology

   The numerical value of conscience in Pythagorean Numerology is: 9

Examples of conscience in a Sentence

1. Panagiotis Lafazanis:

   The government and the prime minister himself, even at the last minute, have the opportunity to change their mind and take it back, before the parliament decides, the dilemma posed by the creditors, truce or destruction, is fake and terroristic and has been demolished in the public conscience.

2. Kansas Governor Sam Brownback:

   No longer will we send the money of hard-working Kansans to fund an industry that disrespects life and violates the moral conscience of our people.

3. Nicolas Chamfort:

   Conviction is the conscience of the mind.

4. Mehmet Murat ildan:

   A marching army first crushes the flowers before the enemy; but even before this, it crushes its own conscience! Conscience and killing cannot be together.

5. William Shakespeare:

   I feel within me a peace above all earthly dignities, a still and quiet conscience.

Images & Illustrations of conscience

Popularity rank by frequency of use