Definition

Noun: - An innate or developed faculty that enables a person to distinguish between morally right and wrong actions: This refers to an internal guide, often called conscience, that influences decisions and judgments based on ethical principles.

Usage

This noun phrase is used to describe the psychological or moral capacity that guides ethical behavior. - It typically functions as the subject or object of a sentence. - It is often discussed in contexts of morality, ethics, psychology, and personal development.

Examples

• Her strong sense of right and wrong prevented her from cheating on the exam.
• The novel explores a character whose sense of right and wrong becomes blurred during the war.
• A good education should help to develop a child's sense of right and wrong.

Advanced Usage

• To have a well-developed/keen sense of right and wrong: To possess a strong, clear moral compass.
  • As a judge, she must have a keen sense of right and wrong.
• To appeal to someone's sense of right and wrong: To try to persuade someone by referencing their moral principles.
  • He appealed to the jury's sense of right and wrong in his closing argument.

Variants and Related Words

• Conscience (n): A person's moral sense of right and wrong, viewed as acting as a guide to one's behavior.
  • His conscience wouldn't allow him to keep the money.
• Moral compass (n): A set of beliefs or values that help guide ethical decisions.
  • She relied on her moral compass to navigate the difficult situation.

Synonyms

• Conscience
• Moral sense
• Ethical faculty
• Scruples (often used in the plural to denote feelings of doubt or hesitation about the morality of an action)

Related Idioms and Phrases

• A crisis of conscience: A period of severe doubt and anxiety about whether one's actions are morally right.
  • The whistleblower experienced a profound crisis of conscience before coming forward.
• To prick one's conscience: To cause someone to feel guilty.
  • Seeing the suffering of others pricked his conscience and spurred him to act.

Noun

1. motivation deriving logically from ethical or moral principles that govern a person's thoughts and actions