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conscience

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The definition of conscience is a personal awareness of right and wrong that you use to guide your actions to do right.

(noun)

An example of conscience is the personal ethics that keep you from cheating on an exam.

See conscience in Webster's New World College Dictionary

noun

a knowledge or sense of right and wrong, with an urge to do right; moral judgment that opposes the violation of a previously recognized ethical principle and that leads to feelings of guilt if one violates such a principle
Obsolete
1. consciousness
2. inner thoughts or feelings

Origin: OFr < L conscientia, consciousness, moral sense < prp. of conscire < com-, with + scire, to know (see science): replacing ME inwit, knowledge within

Related Forms:

conscienceless adjective

See conscience in American Heritage Dictionary 4

noun

a. The awareness of a moral or ethical aspect to one's conduct together with the urge to prefer right over wrong: Let your conscience be your guide.
b. A source of moral or ethical judgment or pronouncement: a document that serves as the nation's conscience.
c. Conformity to one's own sense of right conduct: a person of unflagging conscience.
The part of the superego in psychoanalysis that judges the ethical nature of one's actions and thoughts and then transmits such determinations to the ego for consideration.
Obsolete Consciousness.

Origin:

Origin: Middle English

Origin: , from Old French

Origin: , from Latin cōnscientia

Origin: , from cōnsciēns, cōnscient-

Origin: , present participle of cōnscīre, to be conscious of

Origin: : com-, intensive pref.; see com-

Origin: + scīre, to know; see skei- in Indo-European roots

Related Forms: