Dictionary

conscience en · NOUN

Pronunciation

/ˈkɒn.tʃəns/ (UK)
/ˈkɑn.tʃəns/ (US)
/ˈkɒn.ʃəns/ (UK)
/ˈkɑn.ʃəns/ (US)
(US) audio

Etymology

From Middle English conscience, from Old French conscience, from Latin conscientia (“knowledge within oneself”) (a calque of Ancient Greek σῠνείδησῐς (sŭneídēsĭs)), from consciens, present participle of conscire (“to know, to be conscious (of wrong)”), from com- (“together”) + scire (“to know”).

Meanings

(countable, uncountable) 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.
- [“]Twer is not a friend of mine testifying against me reluctantly and for conscience’ sake, as the prosecution would have you believe. He is a spy, performing his paid job.[”] 1951, Isaac Asimov, Foundation, Panther Books Ltd, published 1974, part V: The Merchant Princes, chapter 14, page 175:
- ‘Then the father has a great fight with his terrible conscience,’ said Munday with granite seriousness. ‘Should he make a row with the police […]? Or should he say nothing about it and condone brutality for fear of appearing in the newspapers? 1963, Margery Allingham, chapter 18, in The China Governess: A Mystery, London: Chatto & Windus, →OCLC:
- Your conscience is your highest authority.
- 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 edition, Sydney, N.S.W.: Ure Smith, published 1962, →OCLC, page 159:
- 1949, Albert Einstein, as quoted by Virgil Henshaw in Albert Einstein: Philosopher Scientist, Never do anything against conscience, even if the state demands it.
(countable, uncountable) 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.
(countable, obsolete, uncountable) 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 Denmarke”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act III, scene i]:

Forms

Spelling	Features	Labels	Source
consciences	Number=Plur		lexicographic

Deriveds

conscientiously · conscionable · consciousness · conscientious · synteresis · conscientiousness

Translations (142)

ja 良心 (moral sense) · sh са́вест (moral sense) · sk svedomie (moral sense) · alt уйат (moral sense) · tr insaf (moral sense) · mk совест (moral sense) · th จิตสำนึก (moral sense) · atv уйат (moral sense) · la cōnscientia (moral sense) · de Gewissen (moral sense) · uz vijdon (moral sense) · sl vest (moral sense) · it coscienza (moral sense) · fa-ira وُجْدان (moral sense) · cmn 良心 (moral sense) · ky ынсап (moral sense) · rue со́вість (moral sense) · io koncienco (moral sense) · tl budhi (moral sense) · ang inġehyġd (moral sense) · be со́весьць (moral sense) · cmn 天良 (moral sense) · ar ضَمِير (moral sense) · bg съ́вест (moral sense) · ro conștiință (moral sense) · hi विवेक (moral sense) · sv samvete (moral sense) · ti ሕልና (moral sense) · be сумле́ньне (moral sense) · cu съвѣсть (moral sense) · sga cocubus (moral sense) · tk wyjdan (moral sense) · th มโนธรรม (moral sense) · fo samvitska (moral sense) · pa ਜ਼ਮੀਰ (moral sense) · cop ⲥⲩⲛⲏⲇⲉⲥⲓⲥ (moral sense) · hi अंतःकरण (moral sense) · nl geweten (moral sense) · yue 良心 (moral sense) · ky уят (moral sense) · izh sovesti (moral sense) · af gewete (moral sense) · lo ມະໂນທັມ (moral sense) · id hati nurani (moral sense) · kk ар (moral sense) · sa मनस्साक्षिन् (moral sense) · yi געוויסן (moral sense) · fi omatunto (moral sense) · grc συνείδησις (moral sense) · ug ئىنساپ (moral sense) · ca consciència (moral sense) · zlw-opl sąmnienie (moral sense) · uz insof (moral sense) · pt consciência (moral sense) · pon ngilenloale (moral sense) · vi lương tâm (moral sense) · mi ngākau manako (moral sense) · nb samvittighet (moral sense) · ps وجدان (moral sense) · ang inġeþōht (moral sense) · kix séi (moral sense) · ko 량심 (moral sense) · oc consciéncia (moral sense) · tg замир (moral sense) · da samvittighed (moral sense) · kk ар-ождан (moral sense) · ml മനസ്സാക്ഷി (moral sense) · ur باطِن (moral sense) · kk ождан (moral sense) · hy խիղճ (moral sense) · tg виҷдон (moral sense) · ur اِیمان (moral sense) · eo konscienco (moral sense) · nl gewisse (moral sense) · sh са́вјест (moral sense) · mi ngākau whakawā (moral sense) · uk сумлі́ння (moral sense) · gd cogais (moral sense) · my အသိတရား (moral sense) · sa अन्तःकरण (moral sense) · fur cusience (moral sense) · fa-ira وِجْدان (moral sense) · hu lelkiismeret (moral sense) · mt kuxjenza (moral sense) · non samvizka (moral sense) · ka სინდისი (moral sense) · ko 양심 (moral sense) · yue 天良 (moral sense) · ug ۋىجدان (moral sense) · cy cydwybod (moral sense) · sq ndërgjegje (moral sense) · uk со́вість (moral sense) · ar طَوِيَّة (moral sense) · tk ynsap (moral sense) · ky ыйман (moral sense) · kk ұждан (moral sense) · gl conciencia (moral sense) · tt вөҗдан (moral sense) · cs svědomí (moral sense) · lv sirdsapziņa (moral sense) · tg ботин (moral sense) · az insaf (moral sense) · ar وِجْدَان (moral sense) · sh sávest (moral sense) · ky намыс (moral sense) · km មនសិការ (moral sense) · et südametunnistus (moral sense) · fa-ira باطِن (moral sense) · sh sávjest (moral sense) · pl sumienie (moral sense) · be сумле́нне (moral sense) · fa-ira ضَمیر (moral sense) · et süüme (moral sense) · rsk совисц (moral sense) · fr conscience (moral sense) · hi अन्तरात्मा (moral sense) · ka ნამუსი (moral sense) · te అంతరాత్ (moral sense) · fy gewisse (moral sense) · lt są́žinė (moral sense) · el συνείδηση (moral sense) · be со́весць (moral sense) · ota ضمیر (moral sense) · th สำนึก (moral sense) · es conciencia (moral sense) · kk ұят (moral sense) · ru со́весть (moral sense) · kk намыс (moral sense) · tr vicdan (moral sense) · is samviska (moral sense) · ms kesedaran (moral sense) · he מַצְפּוּן (moral sense) · ota وجدان (moral sense) · mn ухамсар (moral sense) · az vicdan (moral sense) · ur ضَمِیر (moral sense) · sw dhamiri (moral sense) · bn বিবেক (moral sense) · fur cušience (moral sense) · ps ضمير (moral sense) · am ህሊና (moral sense) · ga coinsias (moral sense)