conscience

conscience
con|science [ˈkɔnʃəns US ˈka:n-] n [U and C]
[Date: 1200-1300; : Old French; Origin: Latin conscientia, from conscire 'to be conscious (of being guilty)', from com- ( COM-) + scire 'to know']
1.) the part of your mind that tells you whether what you are doing is morally right or wrong
guilty/troubled conscience
(=a guilty feeling, because you have done something wrong)
▪ It was his guilty conscience that made him offer to help.
▪ Well, at least I can face them all with a clear conscience (=when you know that you have done nothing wrong) .
▪ a film with a social conscience (=a moral sense of how society should be)
prisoner of conscience
(=someone who is in prison because of their political or religious beliefs)
▪ I can't tell you what to do - it's a matter of conscience (=something that you must make a moral judgment about) .
▪ a crisis of conscience among medical staff (=a situation in which it is very difficult to decide what is the right thing to do)
▪ The dog's sad look pricked her conscience (=made her feel guilty) and she took him home.
2.) a guilty feeling that you have about something bad you have done
twinge/pang of conscience
▪ Ian felt a pang of conscience at having misjudged her.
have no conscience (about sth)
(=not feel guilty about something)
▪ They've no conscience at all about cheating.
3.) on your conscience
if you have something on your conscience, it makes you feel guilty
▪ He didn't want somebody's death on his conscience.
▪ Could you live with that on your conscience?
4.) not in (all/good) conscience
formal if you cannot in all conscience do something, you cannot do it because you think it is wrong
▪ I couldn't in all conscience tell him that his job was safe.
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HINT sense 1
Do not confuse with consciousness (=the condition of being awake and aware of thoughts and feelings).
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Dictionary of contemporary English. 2013.

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Synonyms:
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Look at other dictionaries:

  • Conscience — conscience …   Philosophy dictionary

  • CONSCIENCE — Le mot latin conscientia est naturellement décomposé en «cum scientia». Cette étymologie suggère non seulement la connaissance de l’objet par le sujet, mais que cet objet fait toujours référence au sujet lui même. Le terme allemand Bewusstsein… …   Encyclopédie Universelle

  • Conscience — • The individual, as in him customary rules acquire ethical character by the recognition of distinct principles and ideals, all tending to a final unity or goal, which for the mere evolutionist is left very indeterminate, but for the Christian… …   Catholic encyclopedia

  • conscience — CONSCIENCE. s. f. Lumière intérieure, sentiment intérieur par lequel l homme se rend témoignage à luimême du bien et du mal qu il fait. Conscience timorée. Conscience délicate. Conscience scrupuleuse. Conscience tendre. Bonne conscience.… …   Dictionnaire de l'Académie Française 1798

  • conscience — Conscience. s. f. Lumiere interieure, sentiment interieur, par lequel l homme se rend tesmoignage à luy mesme du bien & du mal qu il fait. Conscience honorée conscience delicate. conscience scrupuleuse. conscience tendre. bonne conscience.… …   Dictionnaire de l'Académie française

  • conscience — Conscience, Dire en sa conscience, Bona fide dicere. A ma conscience, Selon ce que je pense, Ex animi sententia. Homme de bonne conscience, Religiosus. Loyauté et bonne conscience, Religio et fides, B. Une exemplaire d une droite et bonne… …   Thresor de la langue françoyse

  • Conscience — Con science, n. [F. conscience, fr. L. conscientia, fr. consciens, p. pr. of conscire to know, to be conscious; con + scire to know. See {Science}.] 1. Knowledge of one s own thoughts or actions; consciousness. [Obs.] [1913 Webster] The sweetest… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • conscience — con·science adj: exempting persons whose religious beliefs forbid compliance conscience laws, which allow physicians...to refuse to participate in abortions W. J. Curran Merriam Webster’s Dictionary of Law. Merriam Webster. 1996 …   Law dictionary

  • CONSCIENCE (H.) — CONSCIENCE HENRI (1812 1883) Écrivain flamand. Épris de son pays, Conscience résolut d’écrire en une langue que la bourgeoisie francophone de l’époque considérait comme un patois destiné au vulgaire. Le romantisme nationaliste lui inspira Le Lion …   Encyclopédie Universelle

  • conscience — early 13c., from O.Fr. conscience conscience, innermost thoughts, desires, intentions; feelings (12c.), from L. conscientia knowledge within oneself, sense of right, a moral sense, from conscientem (nom. consciens), prp. of conscire be (mutually) …   Etymology dictionary

  • conscience — [kän′shəns] n. [OFr < L conscientia, consciousness, moral sense < prp. of conscire < com , with + scire, to know (see SCIENCE): replacing ME inwit, knowledge within] 1. a knowledge or sense of right and wrong, with an urge to do right;… …   English World dictionary

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