Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “conscienceless” come from?

conscienceless (English) comes from English conscience, from Middle English conscience, from Old French conscience, from Latin cōnscientia, from Latin conscire, from Latin com-, from Latin con-, from Latin cum — to bend; curve; arch; vault; to bow, bend, arch,...

conscienceless (English): Lacking a conscience; unscrupulous or ruthless

Definitions

  1. Lacking a conscience; unscrupulous or ruthless

Ancestry of “conscienceless”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishconscienceThe moral sense of right and wrong, chiefly as it...
2Middle Englishconscience—
3Old Frenchconscienceconscience
4Latincōnscientia—
5Latinconscirepresent active infinitive of cōnsciō; to know, to...
6Latincom-allomorph of con-
7Latincon-Used in compounds to indicate a being or bringing...
8Latincumwith, along with; at; -fold
9Old LatincomAlternative form of cum
10Proto-Italickomwith, along, at
11Proto-Indo-Europeanḱómbeside, near, by, with
12Proto-Indo-EuropeanḱeDeictic particle, here; Post-positional...
13Middle Englishkyt—
14Germankitt—
15Old High Germankuti—
16Proto-West Germanickwidugum, resin
17Proto-Germanickweduzresin
18Proto-Indo-Europeangʷet-resin, gum; to say, speak
19Proto-Indo-Europeangū-to bend; curve; arch; vault; to bow, bend, arch,...

Words derived from “conscienceless”

  • consciencelessly
Every word from Proto-Indo-European gū- →