conscience
B2Formal to neutral
Definition
Meaning
An inner sense of right and wrong that guides one's behaviour and judgments.
A person's moral or ethical principles; the faculty of distinguishing between morally good and bad actions, often accompanied by feelings of guilt or satisfaction.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
Abstract noun; often personified in phrases like 'my conscience told me'. Not to be confused with 'consciousness' (state of being awake/aware).
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant lexical differences; minor spelling variations in derivatives (e.g., 'conscientious' spelled identically).
Connotations
Slightly more religious/formal connotations in UK English; more secular/psychological in US usage.
Frequency
Comparable frequency in both varieties.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
have a + adjective + conscienceon + possessive + consciencein (all/good) conscienceVocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “a clear conscience is a soft pillow”
- “let your conscience be your guide”
- “prisoner of conscience”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Used in corporate ethics discussions: 'The company's environmental conscience influenced its policies.'
Academic
In philosophy/psychology: 'Kant's theory of the categorical imperative relates to rational conscience.'
Everyday
Expressing regret: 'My conscience won't let me keep the extra change.'
Technical
In law: 'Conscience clauses allow medical professionals to refuse procedures.'
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- No direct verb form; periphrastic: 'to have something on one's conscience'.
- Derived: 'She was conscientiously objecting to the policy.'
American English
- No direct verb form; periphrastic: 'It conscienced him to admit the truth.' (archaic/rare).
- Derived: 'He conscientiously recycled all waste.'
adverb
British English
- conscientiously
- unconscientiously
American English
- conscientiously
- unconscientiously
adjective
British English
- conscience-stricken
- conscience-driven
- conscience-related
American English
- conscience-stricken
- conscience-driven
- conscience-based
Examples
By CEFR Level
- My conscience tells me to help.
- He has a good conscience.
- She returned the wallet because her conscience bothered her.
- I can't do that in good conscience.
- The decision weighed on his conscience for years.
- Her social conscience led her to volunteer.
- The novel explores the protagonist's tortured conscience after the betrayal.
- Acting against one's conscience can lead to profound psychological distress.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
CONSCIENCE contains 'SCIENCE' – think of it as the 'science' of knowing right from wrong inside you.
Conceptual Metaphor
CONSCIENCE IS AN INNER JUDGE/JURY; CONSCIENCE IS A VOICE; CONSCIENCE IS A GUIDE.
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Не путать с 'сознание' (consciousness).
- В русском 'совесть' – женский род, в английском – нейтральный.
- В английском нет уменьшительно-ласкательной формы.
Common Mistakes
- Confusing 'conscience' with 'conscious'.
- Misspelling as 'concience'.
- Using as countable noun incorrectly: 'I have two consciences' (rare/non-standard).
Practice
Quiz
Which phrase means 'to make someone feel guilty'?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
'Conscience' is a noun meaning moral sense. 'Conscious' is an adjective meaning awake or aware.
Rarely. Usually uncountable. 'Consciences' might be used when referring to the moral senses of multiple individuals.
Etymologically yes (both from Latin 'conscientia'), but in modern English they are distinct: consciousness = awareness; conscience = moral sense.
It means something is causing feelings of guilt or moral unease, e.g., 'That lie has been on my conscience.'
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