conscience

noun

Definition of consciencenext
as in mind
one's internal sense of right and wrong Her conscience told her to find the lost wallet's owner.

Related Words

Relevance

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of conscience Someone who really is the voice and the conscience of a show. — Emily Zemler, Rolling Stone, 5 Aug. 2026 Today, the Blair Mountain battlefield has transformed into a platform for progress, where the enduring fight for workers’ health, rights, and dignity is no longer buried in the mountains but solidifying into the American conscience. — Elijah Tanall, Encyclopedia Britannica, 29 July 2026 Statements by government lawyers that contradict the official White House line are not merely the results of pangs of conscience. — David A. Graham, The Atlantic, 28 July 2026 Klaveness is a lawyer and judge who has positioned the Norwegian federation as a conscience in world soccer since her election in 2022. — ABC News, 23 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for conscience
Recent Examples of Synonyms for conscience
  1. mind
  2. morality
  3. values
  4. scruples
  5. standards
  6. heart
  7. character
Noun
  • On his mind are various ideas for addressing social upheaval.
    — Reuters, NBC news, 27 Aug. 2026
  • While the settlement may put Meta investors' minds at ease for now, while setting a perhaps reassuring precedent for the rest of social media, analysts don't think the Mark Zuckerberg company is completely out of the legal woods.
    — Tobias Burns, CNBC, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of mind
Noun
  • The postliberals want to enforce a Catholic conception of the common good and morality.
    — Leonard A. Schuette, Foreign Affairs, 25 Aug. 2026
  • The Brothers Karamazov unfurls drama, philosophy, and morality against a vision of 19th-century Russia.
    — Caroline Rogers, Southern Living, 22 Aug. 2026
Definition of morality
Noun
  • For West, Chesney’s most important asset is his personal values.
    — Connor Dullinger, Los Angeles Times, 24 Aug. 2026
  • Intended to preserve the human-scale coastal character, conservation values, passive recreation function, neighborhood compatibility and ecological and recreational function of North Hollywood Beach Park and surrounding coastal areas.
    — Susannah Bryan, Sun Sentinel, 23 Aug. 2026
Definition of values
Noun
  • Hilton rejects the argument floated by some of his former colleagues that his scruples became a casualty of his ambition.
    — Ben Paviour, Sacbee.com, 10 Aug. 2026
  • Still, there are some smart, well-meaning voices of caution who warn Democrats against forgetting their scruples.
    — Clarence Page, Chicago Tribune, 15 June 2026
Definition of scruples
Noun
  • By North Carolina’s historical standards, the answer should be no, but the bar has been lowered so much that a trip to a bottom-tier bowl feels like a victory.
    — Stewart Mandel, New York Times, 30 Aug. 2026
  • Though the enrollment trend can be stabilizing to its balance sheet, the district is still performing well by state standards.
    — Austin Horn, Miami Herald, 29 Aug. 2026
Definition of standards
Noun
  • The way the central couple navigates the twists, turns, roadblocks and unforced errors that entangle their budding relationship is the beating heart of these films.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 28 Aug. 2026
  • The approval was based on results from a trial that showed Mounjaro outperformed Trulicity in reducing the risk of major heart events.
    — Ken Alltucker, USA Today, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of heart
Noun
  • The Oscar-winning actress has written a new musical stage adaptation around the character, set to open on London’s prestigious theater scene in the summer of 2027.
    — Lily Ford, HollywoodReporter, 27 Aug. 2026
  • The entire ensemble of cast led by Manoj, Divya, and Boman bring an incredible depth to their characters.
    — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of character

Browse Nearby Words

consanguineous
conscience
conscientious
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Conscience.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/conscience. Accessed 30 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on conscience

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about conscience

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

Commonly Misspelled Words
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Even More Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

The Words of the Week - Aug. 28

Why do we say 'break a leg'?
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
skateboard-dog-hat
Wordmaxxing Slang Quiz Give your vocabulary a glow up by getting sendy w...
See All