Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • adjective Guided by or in accordance with the dictates of conscience; principled.
  • adjective Thorough and assiduous: synonym: diligent.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • Conscious.
  • Controlled by conscience; governed by a strict regard to the dictates of conscience, or by the known or supposed rules of right and wrong: as, a conscientious judgė.
  • Regulated by conscience; according to the dictates of conscience; springing from conscience: as, a conscientious scruple.
  • Synonyms and Scrupulous, exact, careful, faithful, upright, honest, honorable, righteous.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • adjective Influenced by conscience; governed by a strict regard to the dictates of conscience, or by the known or supposed rules of right and wrong; -- said of a person.
  • adjective Characterized by a regard to conscience; conformed to the dictates of conscience; -- said of actions.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • adjective Thorough, careful, or vigilant; implies a desire to do a task well.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • adjective guided by or in accordance with conscience or sense of right and wrong
  • adjective characterized by extreme care and great effort

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[Obsolete French conscientieux, from Medieval Latin cōnscientiōsus, from Latin cōnscientia, conscience; see conscience.]

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Examples

  • In fact, the origin of the term 'conscientious objector' comes from refusing vaccine - not from war.

    Yahoo! News: Business - Opinion 2011

  • But economists and culture vultures seem to be waking up to the possibility that era of conspicuous consumption may be giving way to a new period of what I call conscientious consumption.

    Rare-auto breeds 2008

  • The only policy which would allow you to do without armament is the policy which England will always respect as on opinion-I mean non-resistance -- (and I remind you that it was respected throughout the last war as an individual opinion, of what we called the conscientious objector,) but it will never be followed as a policy.

    Europe 1937 Prospect and Retrospect 1937

  • Even liars have to admit that, if they are intelligent liars; I mean in their private [the word conscientious written but erased] intervals.

    Complete Letters of Mark Twain Mark Twain 1872

  • Even liars have to admit that, if they are intelligent liars; I mean in their private [the word conscientious written but erased] intervals.

    Mark Twain's Letters — Volume 4 (1886-1900) Mark Twain 1872

  • Now, when a nature intensely conscientious is constantly oppressed by a sense of unperformed duty, that sense becomes a gnawing worm at the very root of life.

    Oldtown Folks 1869

  • True, she said many sharp and bitter things; but nobody but herself and her God knew how many more she would have said had she not reined herself up in conscientious silence.

    Oldtown Folks 1869

  • All the candidates were described as conscientious, smart, and insightful, and all the descriptions ended with notes, such as "Observation: seems to be candid and trusting," or, "Observation: his/her natural competitiveness was apparent."

    The Globe and Mail - Home RSS feed WALLACE IMMEN 2011

  • All the candidates were described as conscientious, smart, and insightful, and all the descriptions ended with notes, such as "Observation: seems to be candid and trusting," or, "Observation: his/her natural competitiveness was apparent."

    The Globe and Mail - Home RSS feed WALLACE IMMEN 2011

  • I think it’s important we have protestors and armchair generals who engage in conscientious or useful critique of (a) war, chiefly because lives and way of life are at stake bothsides.

    The Volokh Conspiracy » The Changing Conflict in Pakistan, and Targeted Killing 2010

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