unconscientiousadj.
/ˌʌnkɒnʃɪˈɛnʃəs/, /ˌʌŋkɒnʃɪˈɛnʃəs/, U.S. /ˌənˌkɑn(t)ʃiˈɛn(t)ʃəs/ 1. Having no conscience; acting or inclined to act without regard for what is right; unscrupulous. Also: failing to perform one's work or duty well or thoroughly; careless, irresponsible.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > goodness and badness > wrongdoing > unscrupulousness > unscrupulous person > [adjective]
conscienceless?c1425
unconscienced1467
unconscionable1568
inconscionablea1599
disconscient1641
unconscientious1649
unscrupulous1803
unscrupled1813
scrupleless1823
society > morality > moral evil > lack of principle or integrity > [adjective] > unscrupulous
conscienceless?c1425
unconscienced1467
unconscionable1568
inconscionablea1599
conscionless1607
disconscient1641
unconscientious1649
untendera1658
unscrupulous1803
any-lengthian1805
unscrupled1813
scrupleless1823
no good1838
sharky1858
1649 R. Baillie Rev. Seditious Pamphlet 56 It is indeed a great heartbreake unto ignorant, lazy and unconscientious Ministers to be put to the paines of Preaching and Prayer.
1697 T. D'Urfey Intrigues at Versailles v. i. 49 If the Woman had had but a Conscience, I could never have betray'd her secret; but to be so horridly unconscientious to keep my Purse from me in the first place.
1701 J. Sage Vindic. Disc. Princ. Cyprianic Age i. 3 He cannot be so Unconscientious as still to have thought this unreasonable, and yet withal to have Written so many Books against particular Adversaries.
1827 W. Scott Life Napoleon V. v. 120 This unconscientious tribunal..found their prisoner guilty.
1884 H. Spencer in Pop. Sci. Monthly Apr. 732 Representatives are unconscientious enough to vote for bills [etc.].
1917 Bull. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics No. 230. 48 Unconscientious doctors are comparatively rare.
1973 M. Fido tr. L. F. Cazamian Social Novel in Eng., 1830–50 138 They were coarse, bibulous, unconscientious, and utterly cynical.
2012 Ottawa Citizen (Nexis) 29 June c5 When did the church become so unconscientious that they're more worried about the political effects than helping people?
2. Made, done, or gained without regard for conscience or duty; exhibiting or characterized by unscrupulousness or irresponsibility.Now frequently in legal contexts.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > goodness and badness > wrongdoing > unscrupulousness > [adjective]
unconscienced1467
unconscionable1492
conscienceless?1587
conscionless1607
unconscientious1657
society > morality > moral evil > lack of principle or integrity > [adjective] > unscrupulous > specifically of actions, etc.
unconscionable1492
conscienceless?1587
unconscientious1657
unscrupulous1803
unconscienced1888
1657 J. Sergeant Schism Dispach't 635 How were they guilty of Schism for this, unles they had deny'd you Communion for holding the contrary, or prest upon you an unconscientious approbation of it.
1701 W. Nicholls Duty Inferiours towards Superiours ii. 79 Other Servants, by their carelessness, and unconscientious Neglect of their Duties, live in constant Tempests and Storms.
1791 J. Boswell Life Johnson anno 1775 I. 454 Johnson was shocked at this unconscientious conduct.
1817 W. Scott Rob Roy II. iv. 84 This base and unconscientious scheme of plundering his benefactor.
1884 Law Times 11 Oct. 382 The Act supposes that the real owner is actuated by unconscientious motives.
a1926 C. W. Eliot in O. L. Elliot Stanford Univ. (1937) 69 To direct a hundred boys upon the same course of study for four years is a careless, lazy, unintelligent, unconscientious method of dealing with them.
1989 Spin Oct. 91/3 Unprotected, unthought-out, unsober, unconscientious sex is a problem.
2003 H. Collins Law of Contract viii. 148 Some contracts should be set aside where there has been an unconscientious use of bargaining power arising out the necessitous circumstances of the weaker party.
Derivatives
unconsciˈentiousness n.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > goodness and badness > wrongdoing > unscrupulousness > [noun]
unconscionableness1607
unconscientiousness1674
inconscionableness1800
unscrupulousness1808
unscrupulosity1847
consciencelessness1857
society > morality > moral evil > lack of principle or integrity > [noun] > lack of scruple
unconscionableness1607
untendernessa1658
unconscientiousness1674
inconscionableness1800
unscrupulousness1808
unscrupulosity1847
consciencelessness1857
1674 P. Walsh Hist. & Vindic. Loyal Formulary i. 3 The Procurators charging them continually with unconscientiousness.
1811 F. Hargrave Jurisconsult Exercitations II. 328 The prudential meanness, or rather the unconscientiousness, of the first part of this reasoning.
1860 J. A. Froude Hist. Eng. (ed. 2) V. 256 The Earl of Warwick himself was untroubled with religious convictions of any kind, and might take either side with equal unconscientiousness.
1913 Mind 22 168 Morality says exercise your intellect; and condemns as immoral..unconscientiousness in thinking.
2007 J. V. Potter Jekyll & Hyde i. 6 Unconscientiousness might be evidenced by..shirking duties.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, June 2014; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
<
adj.1649