- 1[countable, uncountable] the part of your mind that tells you whether your actions are right or wrong to have a clear/guilty conscience (= to feel that you have done right/wrong) This is a matter of individual conscience (= everyone must make their own judgment about it). He won't let it trouble his conscience. see social conscience
- 2[uncountable, countable] a guilty feeling about something you have done or failed to do She was seized by a sudden pang of conscience. I have a terrible conscience about it.
- 3[uncountable] the fact of behaving in a way that you feel is right even though this may cause problems freedom of conscience (= the freedom to do what you believe to be right) Emilia is the voice of conscience in the play. see prisoner of conscience Idioms
believing your actions to be fair synonym honestly We cannot in all conscience refuse to help.
making you feel guilty for doing or failing to do something I'll write and apologize. I've had it on my conscience for weeks. It's still on my conscience that I didn't warn him in time.
to make you feel guilty about something; to feel guilty about something Her conscience pricked her as she lied to her sister.
Check pronunciation: conscience