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Meaning & use

a clear conscience

phrase·Everyday

Last updated

UK/ə ˌklɪə ˈkɒnʃəns/
US/ə ˌklɪr ˈkɑːnʃəns/

Meanings

  1. phrasesingular

    the calm, comfortable feeling you have when you know you have behaved well and done nothing wrong.

    Grammar: Used with an or have; it is countable in this fixed phrase: have a clear conscience.

    Patterns

    • have a clear conscience
    • with a clear conscience
    • a clear conscience about something

    She returned the extra change to the cashier and went home with a clear conscience.

    I couldn't lie to my parents — I wanted a clear conscience more than a good story.

    He has a clear conscience about the decision, because he told everyone the truth first.

  2. phrasesingular

    a state of having no reason to feel guilty about a past action or decision.

    Grammar: Often follows verbs like keep or give: keep a clear conscience.

    Patterns

    • keep a clear conscience
    • give someone a clear conscience

    Apologizing early gave him a clear conscience before the meeting.

    She kept a clear conscience by admitting her mistake the same day.

Common combinations

have a clear conscience
After paying back the loan, he finally had a clear conscience.
with a clear conscience
You can refuse the offer with a clear conscience; nobody will blame you.
a clear conscience about something
I have a clear conscience about leaving early — I finished all my work.
keep a clear conscience
She tries to keep a clear conscience by never breaking a promise.
a guilty conscience
He had a guilty conscience for days after borrowing the book without asking.

Synonyms and how they differ

innocence
Innocence means not having done wrong at all, while a clear conscience is about how you feel after your own actions.
peace of mind
Peace of mind is wider — it means freedom from any worry, not only moral guilt.

Opposites

a guilty conscience

Word family

conscience noun
the inner sense of right and wrong that guides your behavior.
conscientious adjective
careful to do your work properly and correctly.
consciously adverb
in a deliberate, aware way.

Commonly confused: a clear conscience or conscious?

a clear conscience vs conscious

Conscious means awake or aware; conscience is the inner sense of right and wrong. A clear conscience, not a clear conscious.

Practice

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