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.

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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 With the married couple of Robert and Camille Sims careening off onto very different moral trajectories, Camille must confront troubling truths as her conscience plummets into the pits of Hades, while Robert is on a profound journey of salvation. — Jeff Spry, Space.com, 28 Aug. 2026 Ragler recently told ProPublica that the experience led to a crisis of conscience. — Mario Ariza, ProPublica, 27 Aug. 2026 Assassinations, race riots, and Watergate had scorched the nation’s conscience. — Literary Hub, 25 Aug. 2026 Local communities may not have consistent funding or answers for how to house the unhoused, treat those with mental health conditions, or assist people with disabilities, but anyone with a conscience and a heart knows people need help. — Ryan Dewey Smith, Forbes.com, 18 Aug. 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
  • Each of its elements began, long ago, in the loamy earth, hatching and creeping or slipping, slick and squealing, from the womb of the mind.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 10 Sep. 2026
  • The football mind was apparent during weekly preparation and the quick processing on the field at Oregon State.
    — Zach Berman, New York Times, 9 Sep. 2026
Definition of mind
Noun
  • The McLuhanite in me wants to stick to the first interpretation, in which the apparent shift in shame is a matter of morality getting funnelled through a new medium.
    — Jay Caspian Kang, New Yorker, 8 Sep. 2026
  • Swift was born into the Anglo-Irish Protestant elite, and the text satires both the callousness of his class and a then-ascendant approach to morality and politics that held that all aspects of life could be cooked down to a pure numerical value.
    — Dónal Gill, The Dial, 8 Sep. 2026
Definition of morality
Noun
  • The company’s twin values of work and quirk can sit uneasily in the distractible, self-serious fashion world, to the point that fashion at Hermès has historically been regarded as something of an oxymoron.
    — Lauren Collins, New Yorker, 7 Sep. 2026
  • Throughout it all, Taylor has remained the same person, with the same values.
    — Sarah Shephard, New York Times, 6 Sep. 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
  • Inspectors have found hundreds of allegedly fictitious facilities, while at least 833 kitchens have been shut down for failing to meet hygiene and sanitation standards.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 5 Sep. 2026
  • Both choices will serve students when faculty are clear about their ambitions and standards.
    — Sian Leah Beilock, The Atlantic, 5 Sep. 2026
Definition of standards
Noun
  • Following a short outpatient procedure, the device sits under his skin on his chest, similar to a heart pacemaker.
    — Pamela McLoughlin, Hartford Courant, 11 Sep. 2026
  • Our hearts continue to be with the families and loved ones of those who were killed, and with the entire Miami-Dade community enduring an unimaginable time.
    — David Goodhue, Miami Herald, 11 Sep. 2026
Definition of heart
Noun
  • That dichotomy surely reflected, consciously or not on Schubert’s part, the circumstances of his life and contradictions of his character.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 10 Sep. 2026
  • Row 34 is exceptional for its updates to New England seafood that revise original classics without losing their character.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 9 Sep. 2026
Definition of character

Browse Nearby Words

consanguineous
conscience
conscientious
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Cite this Entry

“Conscience.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/conscience. Accessed 13 Sep. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on conscience

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about conscience

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