scruple1 nounscruple2 verb
scruplescru‧ple1 /ˈskruːpəl/ noun [countable usually plural, uncountable] 
WORD ORIGINscruple1
Origin:
1400-1500 Old French scrupule, from Latin scrupulus ‘small sharp stone, cause of mental discomfort’, from scrupus ‘sharp stone’EXAMPLES FROM THE CORPUS
- He had a steely streak but his morals and scruples were beyond reproach.
- He overcame his scruples and by 1846 took thirty-five wives, eight of them widows of Joseph Smith.
- I respect your scruple, scour; but in this case I believe true delicacy requires you to do as I ask.
- In the rush not to be left behind, scruples about starvation and labour camps are forgotten.
- She refused his advances and confounded a multitude of scholars assembled by him to overcome her scruples.
- They are passive, we are told; moral scruples don't come into it.
Longman Language Activatoryour personal ideas about what is right or wrong
the inner sense of what is right or wrong that makes you feel guilty if you do something wrong: · Her conscience would not let her take all the credit for their work.guilty/bad conscience: · It was a guilty conscience that made him admit stealing the money.clear/good conscience: · Marie got up especially early to do all her work so that she could enjoy herself afterwards with a clear conscience.social/political etc conscience (=a moral sense of how society should be): · He was a man of strong social conscience, who actively campaigned against poverty in all its forms.conscience-stricken (=feeling guilty because you have done something wrong): · She hurried home, conscience-stricken about having left all the dishes for Natalie to do.
personal moral principles that stop you from doing something morally wrong - use this especially about someone who does not have moral principles: · He is very ambitious and has absolutely no scruples.· These large drug syndicates are not affected by moral scruples -- they just want to make a profit.
strong ideas about what is morally right and wrong, that you try to follow in everything that you do: · Jimmy tried to live according to Christian principles.· Does she have any principles at all?against somebody's principles (=morally wrong to that person): · I won't get involved in a deal like this -- it's against all my principles.
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE ENTRY
He had no scruples about selling faulty goods to people. a man with no moral scruplesCOLLOCATIONS FROM THE CORPUSADJECTIVE
a belief about what is right and wrong that prevents you from doing bad thingsscruples about doing something He had no scruples about selling faulty goods to people. a man with no moral scruples· Inside the Reich Rauschning's moral scruples would have appeared foolish, even suicidal.· They are passive, we are told; moral scruples don't come into it.· Nor was their acquisition of power to be moderated by moral scruple.
He had no scruples about selling faulty goods to people. a man with no moral scrupleswithout scruple They made thousands of families homeless without scruple.scruple1 nounscruple2 verb
scruplescruple2 verb not scruple to do something literary to be willing to do something even though it may be wrong or may upset people: They did not scruple to bomb innocent civilians.