Conscience vs Conscious | Meaning & Difference
Your conscience is your “sense of what is right or wrong” (e.g., “a guilty conscience”), while conscious means “aware” (e.g., “conscious of the danger”) or “deliberate” (e.g., “a conscious decision”).
- “Conscience” is a noun (e.g., “I have a clear conscience”), but “conscious” is an adjective (e.g., “I am conscious that we don’t have much time”).
- The pronunciation of conscience and conscious is very similar; they both have two syllables, and the only difference in the way they sound comes at the end of their second syllables.
| Conscience in a sentence | Conscious in a sentence |
|---|---|
| I acted according to my conscience and did what I thought was right. | We are conscious of parents’ concerns about the closure of the swimming pool and will discuss the issue at the next meeting. |
| He made the decision out of conscience, guided by his religious beliefs. | It was a conscious, strategic decision; we were fully aware of the consequences. |
Conscience definition
Your conscience is your inner feeling for what is right and wrong. If you have a guilty conscience about something you have done, you feel what you did was wrong and therefore sorry about it. However, if you have a clear conscience about it, you do not experience this guilt because you feel what you did was correct.
It was a difficult decision, but my conscience is clear because I acted responsibly.
He was being bullied, and I didn’t say anything; it’s been on my conscience all week.
I don’t know what to do about the situation; I’ve been wrestling with my conscience for days.
In good conscience meaning
If you do something “in good conscience,” you do it because you truly believe that it is the correct or the morally right thing to do.
Can we really, in all good conscience, do nothing to help these people?
Conscious definition
The adjective conscious means “aware” or “mindful.”
He was conscious of how late it was getting and didn’t want to miss his bus home.
She suddenly became conscious of how quiet it was, realizing that the train had stopped.
A conscious action is done intentionally and after careful consideration.
I made a conscious effort to drink less coffee at work.
It wasn’t really a conscious choice to focus on movies rather than stage acting; it just happened gradually over time.
Conscious can also mean physically alert and responsive (e.g., when someone recovers after having been knocked out).
The word conscious is used in a variety of compound adjectives to describe people’s concerns, preferences, and sensitivities.
He’s not particularly health-conscious.
Conscientious meaning
The adjective conscientious is used to describe a person who fulfills their responsibilities carefully and thoughtfully (especially their work). A conscientious objector is a person who refuses to fight in a war because they object to fighting on moral grounds (i.e., on the basis of their “conscience”).
I believe him when he says the client told him the wrong date; he’s normally very conscientious about meeting deadlines.
Some of the conscientious objectors were imprisoned for over five years.
Self conscious meaning
If you feel self-conscious, you feel very aware and worried that others may judge you negatively for something. The word self-conscious is also sometimes used in a neutral or positive sense to describe something that is done by a person with a strong awareness of how they are perceived by others.
He was a bit self-conscious at first but gained confidence once he got to know the rest of the team.
This is a self-conscious work that demonstrates the painter’s acute awareness of her position in society.
Frequently asked questions about conscience vs conscious
- What does moral conscience mean?
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Your moral conscience is your sense of what is morally right and wrong (e.g., “Members of Congress often have to vote along party lines rather than according to their moral conscience”).
On a related note, if you’re not sure whether the word you need is conscience or conscious, bear in mind that “conscious” is an adjective that normally means “aware,” but “conscious” is a noun referring to your sense of right and wrong.
Have you tried Quillbot’s free Paraphraser? You can use it to help you find alternative ways of expressing the concept of “moral conscience.”
- What is a synonym for conscientious?
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Synonyms for the adjective conscientious include:
- Diligent
- Responsible
- Dedicated
- Attentive
- Meticulous
On a related note, conscience and conscious are commonly confused words, so be careful not to mix them up—“conscience” is your sense of right or wrong, while “conscious” normally means “aware.”
QuillBot’s free Paraphraser will suggest synonyms for “conscientious” that fit your specific context.
- What is a synonym for conscious?
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Synonyms for the adjective conscious when the meaning is “aware” include:
- Mindful
- Aware
- Cognizant
- Appreciative
- Perceptive
Synonyms for conscious when the meaning is “deliberate” include:
- Intentional
- Deliberate
- Thoughtful
- Considered
- Purposeful
Synonyms for conscious when the meaning is “physically alert” include:
- Responsive
- Awake
- Lucid
- Alert
On a related note, if you’re having trouble deciding whether conscious or conscience is the word you’re looking for, “conscience” is a noun and refers to your sense of right and wrong.
QuillBot’s free Paraphraser will help you find a synonym for “conscience” to fit your specific context.
- What is a synonym for conscience?
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Synonyms for the noun conscience include:
- Values
- Principles
- Ethics
- Moral compass
- Inner conviction
- Sense of right and wrong
On a related note, if you’re not sure whether conscience or conscious is the right word, “conscious” is an adjective and means “deliberate,” “aware,” or “physically alert.”
Why not use QuillBot’s free Paraphraser to help you find the perfect synonym for “conscience” in your specific context?
