1. Motivation deriving logically from ethical or moral principles that govern a person's thoughts and actions
   "Her scruples prevented her from accepting the bribe";
   - conscience, moral sense, sense of right and wrong

1. Uneasiness about the fitness of an action (particularly for reasons of ethics, morals or propriety)
   "She had scruples about lying to her parents";
   - qualm, misgiving
    
2. An ethical or moral principle that inhibits action
   "His scruples prevented him from accepting the bribe"
    
3. A unit of apothecary weight equal to 20 grains
   "The old medical text prescribed doses in scruples"

1. Hesitate on moral grounds
   "The man scrupled to perjure himself"
    
2. Have doubts about
   "He scrupled at telling a lie"
    
3. Raise scruples
   "He lied and did not even scruple about it"

Type of: anxiety, apothecaries' unit, apothecaries' weight, ethical motive, ethics, fret, fuss, hesitate, morality, morals, niggle, pause, principle, question, wonder

Part of: drachm, drachma, dram

Encyclopedia: Scruples