Word.ws English Dictionary

synteresis

UK/sɪntɪˈɹiːsɪs/

synteresis noun: an aspect of one's conscience by which one can judge wrong from right and decide on what makes good conduct (as distinguished from syneidesis).

Noun

synteresis (uncountable)

  1. (historical) An aspect of one's conscience by which one can judge wrong from right and decide on what makes good conduct (as distinguished from syneidesis).
    • Synteresis, or the purer part of the conscience, is an innate habit, and doth signify “a conservation of the knowledge of the law of God and Nature, to know good or evil”., Bk.I, New York, 2001, p.166
  2. (obsolete) Preventive treatment; prophylaxis.

Origin of synteresis

From Medieval Latin syntērēsis (in Thomas Aquinas), from Ancient Greek συντήρησις (suntḗrēsis, “careful watching”), from συντηρεῖν (suntēreîn, “to keep guard”).

Questions about synteresis

What does synteresis mean?
Synteresis means an aspect of one's conscience by which one can judge wrong from right and decide on what makes good conduct (as distinguished from syneidesis).
What part of speech is synteresis?
Synteresis is a noun.
How do you pronounce synteresis?
Synteresis is pronounced /sɪntɪˈɹiːsɪs/ (UK).

Words near synteresis in the dictionary

  1. syntenin
  2. syntenins
  3. syntenous
  4. synteny
  5. syntepalous
  6. synteresis
  7. synteretic
  8. syntergite
  9. syntergites
  10. syntergosternite
  11. syntergosternites

Source and license

Adapted from Wiktionary: synteresis (page history and authors). Text available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 license. Word.ws reformatted the entry and added links. Wiktionary data of 2026-09-02.

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