Conscience

• POS: Noun
• HYPHEN: con=science

CIDE DICTIONARY

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

•  Knowledge of one's own thoughts or actions; consciousness.  [1913 Webster]

  "The sweetest cordial we receive, at last,
  Is conscience of our virtuous actions past."  [1913 Webster]
•  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.  [1913 Webster]

  "My conscience hath a thousand several tongues,
  And every tongue brings in a several tale,
  And every tale condemns me for a villain."  [1913 Webster]

  "As science means knowledge, conscience etymologically means self-knowledge . . . But the English word implies a moral standard of action in the mind as well as a consciousness of our own actions. . . . Conscience is the reason, employed about questions of right and wrong, and accompanied with the sentiments of approbation and condemnation."  [1913 Webster]
•  The estimate or determination of conscience; conviction or right or duty.  [1913 Webster]

  "Conscience supposes the existence of some such [i.e., moral] faculty, and properly signifies our consciousness of having acted agreeably or contrary to its directions."  [1913 Webster]
•  Tenderness of feeling; pity.  Chaucer.  [1913 Webster]

Conscience clause, a clause in a general law exempting persons whose religious scruples forbid compliance therewith, -- as from taking judicial oaths, rendering military service, etc. -- Conscience money, stolen or wrongfully acquired money that is voluntarily restored to the rightful possessor. Such money paid into the United States treasury by unknown debtors is called the Conscience fund. -- Court of Conscience, a court established for the recovery of small debts, in London and other trading cities and districts. [Eng.] Blackstone. -- In conscience, In all conscience, in deference or obedience to conscience or reason; in reason; reasonably. “This is enough in conscience.” Howell. “Half a dozen fools are, in all conscience, as many as you should require.” Swift. -- To make conscience of, To make a matter of conscience, to act according to the dictates of conscience concerning (any matter), or to scruple to act contrary to its dictates.

OXFORD DICTIONARY

Conscience, n.
1 a moral sense of right and wrong esp. as felt by a person and affecting behaviour (my conscience won't allow me to do that).
2 an inner feeling as to the goodness or otherwise of one's behaviour (my conscience is clear; has a guilty conscience).

Idiom

case of conscience a matter in which one's conscience has to decide a conflict of principles. conscience clause a clause in a law, ensuring respect for the consciences of those affected. conscience money a sum paid to relieve one's conscience, esp. about a payment previously evaded. conscience-stricken (or -struck) made uneasy by a bad conscience. for conscience (or conscience') sake to satisfy one's conscience. freedom of conscience a system allowing all citizens a free choice of religion. in all conscience colloq. by any reasonable standard; by all that is fair. on one's conscience causing one feelings of guilt. prisoner of conscience a person imprisoned by a State for holding political or religious views it does not tolerate.

Derivative

conscienceless adj.

Etymology

ME f. OF f. L conscientia f. conscire be privy to (as com-, scire know)

THESAURUS

Conscience

anima, censor, coconscious, collective unconscious, compunction, conscientiousness, conscious self, death instinct, demur, ego, ego ideal, ego-id conflict, ethical self, ethics, fairness, foreconscious, grace, honor, id, inner arbiter, inward monitor, judgement, libidinal energy, libido, mind, moral censor, morality, morals, motive force, persona, personality, pleasure principle, preconscious, primitive self, principles, psyche, psychic apparatus, racial unconscious, scruple, scruples, self, social conscience, standards, subconscious, subconscious mind, subliminal, subliminal self, submerged mind, superego, tender conscience, twinge of conscience, unconscious, unconscious mind, vital impulse, voice of conscience

ROGET THESAURUS

Conscience

Duty

N duty, what ought to be done, moral obligation, accountableness, liability, onus, responsibility, bounden duty, imperative duty, call, call of duty, accountability, allegiance, fealty, tie engagement, part, function, calling, morality, morals, decalogue, case of conscience, conscientiousness, conscience, inward monitor, still small voice within, sense of duty, tender conscience, superego, the hell within, dueness, propriety, fitness, seemliness, amenability, decorum, to prepon, the thing, the proper thing, the right thing to do, the proper thing to do, ethics, ethology, deontology, aretology, moral philosophy, ethical philosophy, casuistry, polity, observance, fulfillment, discharge, performance, acquittal, satisfaction, redemption, good behavior, obligatory, binding, imperative, peremptory, stringent, behooving, incumbent on, chargeable on, under obligation, obliged by, bound by, tied by, saddled with, due to, beholden to, bound to, indebted to, tied down, compromised, in duty bound, amenable, liable, accountable, responsible, answerable, right, meet, moral, ethical, casuistical, conscientious, ethological, with a safe conscience, as in duty, bound, on one's own responsibility, at one's own risk, suo periculo, in foro conscientiae, quamdiu se bene gesserit, dura lex sed lex, dulce et decorum est pro patria mori, honos habet onus, leve fit quod bene fertur onus, loyaute m'oblige, simple duty bath no place for fear, stern daughter of the voice of God, there is a higher law than the Constitution.

Knowledge

N knowledge, cognizance, cognition, cognoscence, acquaintance, experience, ken, privity, insight, familiarity, comprehension, apprehension, recognition, appreciation, intuition, conscience, consciousness, perception, precognition, acroamatics, light, enlightenment, glimpse, inkling, glimmer, glimmering, dawn, scent, suspicion, impression, discovery, system of knowledge, body of knowledge, science, philosophy, pansophy, acroama, theory, aetiology, etiology, circle of the sciences, pandect, doctrine, body of doctrine, cyclopedia, encyclopedia, school, tree of knowledge, republic of letters, erudition, learning, lore, scholarship, reading, letters, literature, book madness, book learning, bookishness, bibliomania, bibliolatry, information, general information, store of knowledge, education, culture, menticulture, attainments, acquirements, acquisitions, accomplishments, proficiency, practical knowledge, liberal education, dilettantism, rudiments, deep knowledge, profound knowledge, solid knowledge, accurate knowledge, acroatic knowledge, acroamatic knowledge, vast knowledge, extensive knowledge, encyclopedic knowledge, encyclopedic learning, omniscience, pantology, march of intellect, progress of science, advance of science, advance of learning, schoolmaster abroad, scholar, knowing, cognitive, acroamatic, aware of, cognizant of, conscious of, acquainted with, made acquainted with, privy to, no stranger to, au fait with, au courant, in the secret, up to, alive to, behind the scenes, behind the curtain, let into, apprized of, informed of, undeceived, proficient with, versed with, read with, forward with, strong with, at home in, conversant with, familiar with, erudite, instructed, leaned, lettered, educated, well conned, well informed, well read, well grounded, well educated, enlightened, shrewd, savant, blue, bookish, scholastic, solid, profound, deep-read, book- learned, accomplished, omniscient, self-taught, known, ascertained, well-known, recognized, received, notorious, noted, proverbial, familiar, familiar as household words, familiar to every schoolboy, hackneyed, trite, trivial, commonplace, cognoscible, cognizable, to one's knowledge, to the best of one's knowledge, one's eyes being opened, ompredre tout c'est tout pardonner, to know all is to pardon all, empta dolore docet experientia, gnothi seauton, half our knowledge we must snatch not take, Jahre lehren mehr als Bucher, years teach more than books, knowledge comes but wisdom lingers, knowledge is power, les affaires font les hommes, nec scire fas est omnia, the amassed thought and experience of innumerable, was ich nicht weiss macht mich nicht heiss.