- the sense of right and wrong that governs a person's thoughts and actions
- conscientiousness; diligence
- a feeling of guilt or anxiety: he has a conscience about his unkind action
- obsolete consciousness
- in conscience, in all conscience ⇒
- with regard to truth and justice
- certainly
- on one's conscience ⇒ causing feelings of guilt or remorse
WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026
con•science /ˈkɑnʃəns/USA pronunciation
n.
See -sci-.
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026- the sense of what is right or wrong in one's acts, thoughts, or motives: [uncountable]a matter of conscience, not of opportunity.[countable]My conscience keeps getting in the way of easy decisions.
- Idioms in (all or good) conscience, [uncountable] in all reason and fairness:I can't do that in good conscience because I would be betraying my friends.
- Idioms on one's conscience, (of a wrongdoing);
burdening one with guilt:The crime had been on his conscience for years.
See -sci-.
con•science
(kon′shəns),USA pronunciation n.
con′science•less, adj.
con′science•less•ly, adv.
con′science•less•ness, n.
- the inner sense of what is right or wrong in one's conduct or motives, impelling one toward right action:to follow the dictates of conscience.
- the complex of ethical and moral principles that controls or inhibits the actions or thoughts of an individual.
- an inhibiting sense of what is prudent:I'd eat another piece of pie but my conscience would bother me.
- conscientiousness.
- [Obs.]consciousness;
self-knowledge. - [Obs.]strict and reverential observance.
- Idioms have something on one's conscience, to feel guilty about something, as an act that one considers wrong:She behaves as if she had something on her conscience.
- Idioms in all conscience:
- in all reason and fairness.
- certainly;
assuredly.
- Latin conscientia knowledge, awareness, conscience. See con-, science
- Anglo-French
- Middle English 1175–1225
con′science•less•ly, adv.
con′science•less•ness, n.
Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
conscience /ˈkɒnʃəns/ n