different between irresolution vs scruple

English

Etymology

From French irrésolution, from ir- + résolution (“resolution”).

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /???z??lu???n/

Noun

irresolution (countable and uncountable, plural irresolutions)

1. Lack of resolution; lack of decision or purpose; vacillation.
   • 1796, Matthew Lewis, The Monk, Folio Society 1985, p. 238:

     Again he paced the chamber; but an involuntary movement of awe and inquietude constantly led his eye towards the alcove. He drew near it with irresolution.

Translations

References

• irresolution in The Century Dictionary, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911.
• irresolution in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913.

English

Etymology

From Old French scrupule, from Latin scr?pulus (“(literally) a small sharp or pointed stone; the twenty-fourth part of an ounce; uneasiness of mind, anxiety, doubt, trouble; scruple”), diminutive of scr?pus (“a rough or sharp stone; anxiety, uneasiness”); perhaps akin to Ancient Greek ?????? (skúros, “the chippings of stone”), from ????? (xurón, “razor”), from ??? (xú?, “to scrape”), from Proto-Indo-European *ksunyo-.

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /?sk?u?p?l/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /?sk?up?l/
• Rhymes: -u?p?l
• Hyphenation: scru?ple

Noun

scruple (plural scruples)

1. (pharmacy) A weight of ¹?₂₈₈ of a pound, that is, twenty grains or one third of a dram, about 1.3 grams (symbol: ?).

   Synonym: (abbreviation) s.ap.
2. (obsolete, by extension) A very small quantity; a particle.

   Synonyms: see Thesaurus:modicum
3. (obsolete) A doubt or uncertainty concerning a matter of fact; intellectual perplexity.
4. Hesitation to act from the difficulty of determining what is right or expedient; doubt, hesitation or unwillingness due to motives of conscience.
5. A Hebrew unit of time equal to ¹?₁₀₈₀ hour.

Derived terms

• scrupleless
• scrupulosity
• scrupulous
• scrupulously
• scrupulousness
• unscrupulous
• unscrupulously
• unscrupulousness

Translations

Verb

scruple (third-person singular simple present scruples, present participle scrupling, simple past and past participle scrupled)

1. (intransitive) To hesitate or be reluctant to act due to considerations of conscience or expedience.
2. (intransitive) To excite scruples in; to cause to scruple.
3. (transitive) To regard with suspicion; to question.
4. (intransitive, obsolete) To question the truth of (a fact, etc.); to doubt; to hesitate to believe, to question.

Translations

Further reading

• conscience on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
• scruple in The Century Dictionary, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911.
• scruple in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913.

Anagrams

• curples