The difference between conscience and conscious is conscience is a noun referring to the awareness of whether one’s actions are right or wrong, as in one’s “guilty conscience.” In contrast, conscious is an adjective meaning “awake” or “alert.” Although both words almost sound the same and have to do with the mind, they are correct words with different meanings and spelling.
Let’s use conscience and conscious in one sentence: “Be conscious while listening to your friend’s dilemma so you can let your conscience give good advice.” Remember the second letter “n” in conscience and associate the second letter “n” in conscience with inner thoughts to avoid confusion between the two.
When to Use Conscience
We use conscience as a noun referring to the awareness of one’s actions, whether they are right morally right or wrong. Also, it refers to a guilty feeling that you have about something bad you’ve done.
Conscience as a Noun
The awareness of one’s actions whether it’s right or wrong
The youth admire a leader whose conscience is clear and unquestionable.
As adults, we can rely on our conscience, which helps us do the right thing.
Each person must vote according to their own conscience.
A guilty feeling about something bad you’ve done
Her rival for the position has no conscience at all about cheating and disinformation.
The entitled girl’s guilty conscience made her offer to help.
An online commenter felt a pang of conscience at having misjudged someone.
When to Use Conscious
We use conscious as an adjective to mean noticing or realizing something or simply alert. Moreover, it means having the ability to understand what’s happening around you, as in awake and alert. Other meanings include concerned about something and conscious thoughts, memories, etc., that you know about.
Conscious as an Adjective
Noticing or realizing something; alert
After getting lost on the way, I became conscious of someone following me.
I’m glad that my company is conscious that some people favor working from home.
Employers are increasingly conscious of the importance of work-life balance.
Able to understand what’s happening around you
After being unconscious for hours after the operation, she’s now conscious.
I’m glad that my company is conscious that some people favor working from home.
Employers are increasingly conscious of the importance of work-life balance.
Concerned about something
People are health conscious nowadays and careful about what they eat.
Nowadays, children are becoming fashion conscious at younger ages.
Our market for our products is environmentally conscious consumers.
Thoughts or memories that you know about
The performance affects the audience at a deeper, less conscious level.
He had no conscious memory of being brought to the hospital.
Without conscious thought, she walked faster as she could.
Conscience vs. Conscious: Is There a Difference?
Yes, there’s a difference between conscience and conscious. Conscience is a noun referring to the awareness that one’s actions are right or wrong, as in one’s “guilty conscience,” while conscious is an adjective meaning “awake” or “alert.” They may sound the same, but they are different and interchangeable.
References:
Cambridge Dictionary. (n.d.) Conscience. In https://dictionary.cambridge.org/us/ dictionary. Retrieved from https://dictionary.cambridge.org/us/dictionary/english/conscience
Cambridge Dictionary. (n.d.) Conscious. In https://dictionary.cambridge.org/us/ dictionary. Retrieved from https://dictionary.cambridge.org/us/dictionary/english/conscious
Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English Online. (n.d.). Conscience. In https://www.ldoceonline.com/ dictionary. Retrieved from https://www.ldoceonline.com/dictionary/conscience
Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English Online. (n.d.). Conscious. In https://www.ldoceonline.com/ dictionary. Retrieved from https://www.ldoceonline.com/dictionary/conscious
Merriam-Webster. (n.d.). Conscience. In Merriam-Webster.com dictionary. Retrieved from https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/conscience
Merriam-Webster. (n.d.). Conscious. In Merriam-Webster.com dictionary. Retrieved from https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/conscious
Merriam-Webster. (n.d.). ‘Conscience’ vs. ‘Conscious’: Let Us Be Your Guide. In Merriam-Webster.com dictionary. Retrieved from https://www.merriam-webster.com/words-at-play/usage-of-conscience-vs-conscious
