conscientious, a.
(kɒnʃɪˈɛnʃəs)
[ad. F. conscientieux (16th c. in Littré), med.L. conscientiōs-us, f. conscientia: see -ous.]
1. a. Of persons: Obedient or loyal to conscience; habitually governed by a sense of duty; scrupulous.
| 1611 Cotgr., Conscientieux, conscientious..of a good conscience, full of conscience. 1655 Fuller Ch. Hist. v. i. §15 [He] had found..many Lay-men as consciencious as Clergymen in discharging this Trust. 1745 De Foe's Eng. Tradesman (1841) I. vii. 55 A conscientious tradesman. 1882 M. E. Braddon Mt. Royal I. iii. 78 He is a conscientious person, and knows his duty. |
b. conscientious objector, one who refuses to conform to the requirements of a public enactment on the plea of conscientious scruple; esp. such an objector to military service (cf. conchy).
| 1899 [see objector]. 1910 Blackw. Mag. Mar. 424/1 Having quite properly insisted that vaccination should be universal and compulsory, it presently admits ‘the conscientious objector’. 1916 A. Huxley Let. 2 Mar. (1969) 92 Conscientious objectors were not so disgustingly hectored as they seem to have been in London. 1940 Economist 2 Mar. 371/1 The Act lays down that one who claims that he conscientiously objects to being registered in the military service register, or to performing military service, or to performing combatant duties, may apply to be registered as a conscientious objector and therefore to be exempt from military service. 1966 C. M. Bowra Memories 1898–1939 xiv. 352 Knowing how cruelly conscientious objectors had been treated in the First World War, I was determined to see that their cases were put intelligibly before the tribunals. |
2. a. Of conduct, etc.: Of or pertaining to conscience; done according to conscience, scrupulous. conscientious objection. (See above.)
| a 1631 Donne Serm. x. 101 D, Of those that goe with out those Conscientiouse Deliberations. 1736 Butler Anal. i. vii. Wks. 1874 I. 140 To live in the conscientious practice of all that is good. 1850 Kingsley Alt. Locke i, She became a Baptist from conscientious scruples. 1878 R. Simpson Sch. Shaks. I. 74 The Archbishop returned his easy insolence with a..conscientious purpose of revenge. 1916 A. Huxley Let. 10 Mar. (1969) 93 He came before the tribunal the other day to apply for exemption on the grounds of conscientious objection to war. 1932 ― Brave New World iii. 57 Conscientious objection on an enormous scale. 1936 M. Plowman Faith called Pacifism 60 Passive resistance, Non-violence, Conscientious Objection, Pacifism, Defeatism—the very variety of descriptions shows the hesitant..nature of the new faith. 1966 C. M. Bowra Memories 1898–1939 xiv. 352, I welcomed the introduction of conscription, but was at first rather taken aback that some of the brightest undergraduates had genuinely conscientious objections to it. |
† b. Constituting a matter of conscience, binding on the conscience. Obs. rare.
| 1636 Blunt Voy. Levant (ed. 2) 101 The Authors of Superstition when they finde Customes very usefull..plant them amongst their other Ceremonies, and make them conscientious. |
† 3. Conscious (of). Obs.
| 1648 Fairfax Remonstrance 36 Either not bound, or not conscientious of his bonds. 1654 Whitlock Zootomia 141 The Heretick (guilty and consciencious to himselfe of Refutability). a 1656 Bp. Hall Tracts (1677) 181 He that is conscientious of his sin. |