scruple

1 of 3

noun (1)

scru·​ple ˈskrü-pəl 

1

: a unit of capacity equal to ¹/₂₄ Apothecaries' ounce see Weights and Measures Table

2

: a minute part or quantity : iota

scruple

2 of 3

noun (2)

1

: an ethical consideration or principle that inhibits action

2

: the quality or state of being scrupulous

3

: mental reservation

scruple

3 of 3

verb

scrupled; scrupling ˈskrü-p(ə-)liŋ 

intransitive verb

1

: to have scruples

2

: to show reluctance on grounds of conscience : hesitate

Synonyms

Noun (1)

• ace
• bit
• crumb
• dab
• dram
• driblet
• glimmer
• hint
• lick
• little
• mite
• nip
• ounce
• particle
• peanuts
• ray
• scintilla
• shade
• shadow
• shred
• skosh
• smack
• smell
• smidgen
• smidgeon
• smidgin
• smidge
• snap
• soupçon
• spark
• spatter
• speck
• splash
• spot
• sprinkling
• strain
• streak
• suspicion
• tad
• touch
• trace

Noun (2)

• compunction
• misgiving
• qualm

Verb

• balance
• dither
• falter
• halt
• hang back
• hesitate
• shilly-shally
• stagger
• teeter
• vacillate
• waver
• wobble
• wabble

Choose the Right Synonym for scruple

qualm, scruple, compunction, demur mean a misgiving about what one is doing or going to do.

qualm implies an uneasy fear that one is not following one's conscience or better judgment.

no qualms about plagiarizing

scruple implies doubt of the rightness of an act on grounds of principle.

no scruples against buying stolen goods

compunction implies a spontaneous feeling of responsibility or compassion for a potential victim.

had compunctions about lying

demur implies hesitation caused by objection to an outside suggestion or influence.

accepted her decision without demur

Examples of scruple in a Sentence

Verb

a tabloid journalist who has never scrupled to reveal the most intimate details about the lives of celebrities

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

The defining characteristic of Murdoch’s journalistic empire isn’t so much its extreme conservatism, but its disengagement from anything resembling ethics or scruples or even the consequences of what have often been outright lies. —Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 21 Sep. 2023

Moral scruples, appeals, and accusations will not deter Putin. —Michael Kimmage and Hanna Notte, Foreign Affairs, 1 Sep. 2023

The last thing most new inventors want is to end up with a questionable company with dodgy scruples! —Jon Stojan, USA TODAY, 13 July 2023

Pepper is a former associate of Carney’s father, a stoic man of few words and fewer scruples who laments the changing nature of Harlem’s criminal class. —Chris Vognar, Los Angeles Times, 12 July 2023

But even if this letter has been prepared with the best of intentions, Beijing and its authoritarian associates elsewhere will not share our scruples. —The Editors, National Review, 7 Apr. 2023

But who would ever accuse a multinational like Microsoft or Google of such scruples? —Katherine Cross, WIRED, 17 Mar. 2023

Who else is in the market for a pint of papaya juice, a scruple of compassion? —Hannah Aizenman, The New Yorker, 25 Dec. 2022

The convention of courtroom journalism is to make a scruple of indeterminacy. —New York Times, 2 June 2022

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Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

Middle English scrupil, scriple, from Anglo-French scruple, from Latin scrupulus a unit of weight, diminutive of scrupus sharp stone

Noun (2)

Middle English scripil, scrupill, from Anglo-French scruble, from Latin scrupulus, diminutive of scrupus source of uneasiness, literally, sharp stone

First Known Use

Noun (1)

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun (2)

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1627, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

scruple

1 of 3 noun

scru·​ple ˈskrü-pəl 

1

: a unit of capacity equal to ¹⁄₂₄ Apothecaries' ounce see measure

2

: a tiny part or quantity

scruple

2 of 3 noun

1

: a moral consideration or rule of conduct that makes one uneasy or makes action difficult

2

: a sense of guilt felt when one does wrong

acted without scruple

scruple

3 of 3 verb

scrupled; scrupling -p(ə-)liŋ 

: to have scruples

Etymology

Noun

Middle English scriple "a unit of weight," from Latin scrupulus "small sharp stone"

Noun

from early French scrupule "scruple," from Latin scrupulus "scruple, a small sharp stone"

Word Origin

Having a sharp pebble in your shoe can be painful enough to keep you from walking until you remove it. That fact was well known by the ancient Romans, who regularly wore sandals. Scruple comes from the Latin word scrupulus, which originally meant "a small sharp stone." The ancient Romans also used scrupulus to refer to a feeling or thought that might keep a person from doing something that was not quite right. It seemed to them to affect the conscience in the same way that a tiny stone in the shoe would keep a person from being able to walk. This second meaning of scrupulus is the one that still survives in our English word scruple.

Medical Definition

scruple

noun

scru·​ple ˈskrü-pəl 

: a unit of apothecaries' weight equal to 20 grains or ¹/₃ dram or 1.296 grams