convict
Americanverb (used with object)
-
to prove or declare guilty of an offense, especially after a legal trial.
to convict a prisoner of a felony.
-
to impress with a sense of guilt.
noun
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a person proved or declared guilty of an offense.
-
a person serving a prison sentence.
adjective
verb
noun
-
a person found guilty of an offence against the law, esp one who is sentenced to imprisonment
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a person serving a prison sentence
adjective
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of convict
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English verb convicten, from Latin convictus, past participle of convincere, equivalent to con- “with, together” + vic-, variant stem of vincere “to overcome” + -tus past participle suffix; Middle English noun convict “(a) convict,” adjective convict “convicted,” past participle of convicten “to convince” (or directly from Latin ); see con-, convince
Explanation
A convict is a person who has been found guilty — convicted — of a crime and is serving a sentence in prison. When you convict (accent on the second syllable) someone of a crime, you find them guilty. The person is then a convict (accent on the first syllable). When the person is released from jail, he's an ex-con, that is, he's not a convict any more.
Vocabulary lists containing convict
13th Amendment (1865)
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"To Kill a Mockingbird" by Harper Lee, Chapters 20–25
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Twelve Angry Men
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
“I owe it to my son. ... Convict me. ... Send me on my way.”
From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 22, 2025
The Arizona farmer photobombed a photograph the Cop, Convict, Comedian and Rabbi took together to celebrate their night out with the faithful.
From Salon • Aug. 25, 2024
“It is now time for the defendant, Robert Kelly, to pay for his crimes. Convict him.”
From Seattle Times • Sep. 23, 2021
“For example, his campaign handed out buttons referring to Debs as Convict No. 9653.”
From Slate • May 26, 2021
Convict number 5,066, aged about thirty years . . . was brought to the hospital in a perfectly unconscious state and with convulsive twitchings of the muscles.
From "Newjack: Guarding Sing Sing" by Ted Conover
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
