Get Affordable VMs - excellent virtual server hosting


browse words by letter
a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z
conscience

more about conscience

conscience


  3  definitions  found 
 
  From  Webster's  Revised  Unabridged  Dictionary  (1913)  [web1913]: 
 
  Conscience  \Con"science\,  n.  [F.  conscience,  fr  L.  conscientia 
  fr  consciens,  p.  pr  of  conscire  to  know  to  be  conscious; 
  con-  +  scire  to  know  See  {Science}.] 
  1.  Knowledge  of  one's  own  thoughts  or  actions;  consciousness. 
  [Obs.] 
 
  The  sweetest  cordial  we  receive,  at  last  Is 
  conscience  of  our  virtuous  actions  past.  --Denham. 
 
  2.  The  faculty,  power,  or  inward  principle  which  decides  as 
  to  the  character  of  one's  own  actions,  purposes,  and 
  affections,  warning  against  and  condemning  that  which  is 
  wrong  and  approving  and  prompting  to  that  which  is  right 
  the  moral  faculty  passing  judgment  on  one's  self  the 
  moral  sense 
 
  My  conscience  hath  a  thousand  several  tongues,  And 
  every  tongue  brings  in  a  several  tale,  And  every 
  tale  condemns  me  for  a  villain.  --Shak. 
 
  As  science  means  knowledge,  conscience 
  etymologically  means  self-knowledge  .  .  .  But  the 
  English  word  implies  a  moral  standard  of  action  in 
  the  mind  as  well  as  a  consciousness  of  our  own 
  actions.  .  .  .  Conscience  is  the  reason,  employed 
  about  questions  of  right  and  wrong  and  accompanied 
  with  the  sentiments  of  approbation  and  condemnation. 
  --Whewell. 
 
  3.  The  estimate  or  determination  of  conscience;  conviction  or 
  right  or  duty. 
 
  Conscience  supposes  the  existence  of  some  such 
  [i.e.,  moral]  faculty,  and  properly  signifies  our 
  consciousness  of  having  acted  agreeably  or  contrary 
  to  its  directions.  --Adam  Smith. 
 
  4.  Tenderness  of  feeling;  pity.  [Obs.]  --Chaucer. 
 
  {Conscience  clause},  a  clause  in  a  general  law  exempting 
  persons  whose  religious  scruples  forbid  compliance 
  therewith,  --  as  from  taking  judicial  oaths,  rendering 
  military  service,  etc 
 
  {Conscience  money},  stolen  or  wrongfully  acquired  money  that 
  is  voluntarily  restored  to  the  rightful  possessor.  Such 
  money  paid  into  the  United  States  treasury  by  unknown 
  debtors  is  called  the  Conscience  fund. 
 
  {Court  of  Conscience},  a  court  established  for  the  recovery 
  of  small  debts,  in  London  and  other  trading  cities  and 
  districts.  [Eng.]  --Blackstone. 
 
  {In  conscience},  {In  all  conscience},  in  deference  or 
  obedience  to  conscience  or  reason;  in  reason;  reasonably. 
  ``This  is  enough  in  conscience.''  --Howell.  ``Half  a  dozen 
  fools  are  in  all  conscience,  as  many  as  you  should 
  require.''  --Swift. 
 
  {To  make  conscience  of},  {To  make  a  matter  of  conscience},  to 
  act  according  to  the  dictates  of  conscience  concerning 
  (any  matter),  or  to  scruple  to  act  contrary  to  its 
  dictates. 
 
  From  WordNet  r  1.6  [wn]: 
 
  conscience 
  n  1:  motivation  deriving  logically  from  ethical  or  moral 
  principles  that  govern  a  person's  thoughts  and  actions 
  [syn:  {scruples},  {moral  sense},  {sense  of  right  and 
  wrong}] 
  2:  conformity  to  one's  own  sense  of  right  conduct:  "a  person  of 
  unflagging  conscience" 
  3:  a  feeling  of  shame  when  you  do  something  immoral;  "he  has  no 
  conscience  about  his  cruelty" 
 
  From  Easton's  1897  Bible  Dictionary  [easton]: 
 
  Conscience 
  that  faculty  of  the  mind,  or  inborn  sense  of  right  and  wrong  by 
  which  we  judge  of  the  moral  character  of  human  conduct.  It  is 
  common  to  all  men.  Like  all  our  other  faculties,  it  has  been 
  perverted  by  the  Fall  (John  16:2;  Acts  26:9;  Rom.  2:15).  It  is 
  spoken  of  as  defiled"  (Titus  1:15),  and  seared"  (1  Tim.  4:2). 
  A  "conscience  void  of  offence"  is  to  be  sought  and  cultivated 
  (Acts  24:16;  Rom.  9:1;  2  Cor.  1:12;  1  Tim.  1:5,  19;  1  Pet. 
  3:21). 
 




more about conscience