conscience

English

/kɒnʃəns/

noun
Definitions
  • The moral sense of right and wrong, chiefly as it affects one's own behaviour.
  • (chiefly fiction) A personification of the moral sense of right and wrong, usually in the form of a person, a being or merely a voice that gives moral lessons and advices.
  • (obsolete) Consciousness; thinking; awareness, especially self-awareness.

Etymology

Borrowed from Old French conscience derived from Latin conscientia (knowledge within oneself).

Origin

Latin

conscientia

Gloss

knowledge within oneself

Timeline

Distribution of cognates by language

Geogrpahic distribution of cognates

Cognates and derived terms