# conscience

/ˈkɑnʃəns/ (US) · /kˈɒnʃəns/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/conscience
Updated: 2026-06-20

## Senses

### 1. moral sense

noun · CEFR B2

the part of your mind that makes you feel guilty when you do something wrong.

For teachers: the internal faculty that distinguishes right from wrong, often acting as a guide for ethical behaviour.

- His conscience bothered him for days after he lied to his best friend.
- The whistleblower acted out of a sense of conscience, choosing to expose the corruption despite the potential risk to his career.

Usage: Often used with adjectives like 'guilty', 'clear', or 'troubled'.

### 2. personification of morality

noun · CEFR B2

an imaginary voice or person that represents your sense of right and wrong.

For teachers: the personification of the moral sense, frequently depicted in literature or media as an external voice or figure.

- In the movie, a small character sits on his shoulder acting as his conscience.
- The protagonist's conscience is represented by a recurring spectral figure that challenges his increasingly unethical decisions.

### 3. awareness or thought

noun · CEFR C2 · Archaic · Literary

an old-fashioned way to say 'consciousness' or being aware of something.

For teachers: the state of being aware or conscious of one's own thoughts or surroundings.

- The old book spoke of a man losing his conscience of the world around him.
- In this archaic context, the term refers not to morality but to the simple conscience of one's own existence.

Usage: Found primarily in historical texts or classical literature.

## Examples

- He has a clear conscience because he always tells the truth.
- She could not in good conscience accept the promotion knowing her colleague deserved it more.
- The protagonist's struggle with his conscience forms the central conflict of the novel, as he weighs personal gain against his deep-seated ethical principles.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.