What is the meaning of scruple?

noun

  • A unit of apothecary weight equal to 20 grains.
  • Uneasiness about the fitness of an action.
  • An ethical or moral principle that inhibits action.

verb

  • Hesitate on moral grounds.
    • usage: "The man scrupled to perjure himself"
  • Raise scruples.
    • usage: "He lied and did not even scruple about it"
  • Have doubts about. .
WordNet 3.0 © 2006 by Princeton University
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APAWordNet. (2010). Scruple. Retrieved September 20, 2026, from http://smartdefine.org/scruple/definitions/1214722
ChicagoWordNet. 2010. "Scruple" http://smartdefine.org/scruple/definitions/1214722 (accessed September 20, 2026).
HarvardWordNet 2010, Scruple, Smart Define, viewed 20 September, 2026, <http://smartdefine.org/scruple/definitions/1214722>.
MLAWordNet. "Scruple" 23 October 2010. Web. 20 September 2026. <http://smartdefine.org/scruple/definitions/1214722>
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