Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English homepage

Date: 1300-1400
Language: Old French
Origin: componction, from Late Latin, from Latin compungere 'to sting', from com- ( COM-) + pungere ( PUNGENT)

compunction

 noun
     
com‧punc‧tion [uncountable usually in negatives] formal
a feeling that you should not do something because it is bad or wrong
have/feel no compunction about (doing) something
He had no compunction about interfering in her private affairs.
They used their tanks against the leftists without compunction.
Definition from the Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English
Advanced Learner's Dictionary.

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