convict

American  

[kuhn-vikt, kon-vikt] / kənˈvɪkt, ˈkɒn vɪkt /

verb (used with object)

• convicts,
  present (3rd person singular)
• convicted,
  past participle,  past
• convicting
  present participle

1. to prove or declare guilty of an offense, especially after a legal trial.

   to convict a prisoner of a felony.

2. to impress with a sense of guilt.

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noun

• convicts
  plural

1. a person proved or declared guilty of an offense.

2. a person serving a prison sentence.

adjective

1. Archaic. convicted.

convict British  

verb

1. to pronounce (someone) guilty of an offence

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noun

1. a person found guilty of an offence against the law, esp one who is sentenced to imprisonment

2. a person serving a prison sentence

adjective

1. obsolete convicted

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• preconvict
  verb (used with object)
• reconvict
  verb (used with object)
• convictable
  adjective
• convictible
  adjective
• convictive
  adjective
• unconvicting
  adjective
• unconvictive
  adjective
• convictively
  adverb

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• convicts
  plural

Participles

• convicting
  present
• convicted
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• convict
  simple
• convicts
  simple
• have convicted
  perfect
• has convicted
  perfect
• am convicting
  progressive
• are convicting
  progressive
• is convicting
  progressive
• have been convicting
  perfect progressive
• has been convicting
  perfect progressive

Past

• convicted
  simple
• had convicted
  perfect
• was convicting
  progressive
• were convicting
  progressive
• had been convicting
  perfect progressive

Future

• will convict
  simple
• will have convicted
  perfect
• will be convicting
  progressive
• will have been convicting
  perfect progressive

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.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

convict convicts convicted convicting

He reminded the panel they must unanimously believe beyond reasonable doubt that the defendant is guilty in order to convict her of a crime.

From BBC ● Sep. 4, 2026

The verdict means that almost nine years since the assassination of Daphne Caruana Galizia, the Maltese authorities have failed to identify and convict the mastermind.

From Barron's ● Sep. 2, 2026

In Spencer’s case, Burton processed the biological evidence used to convict him and testified as a forensic analyst during his trials.

From Slate ● Aug. 13, 2026

“You cannot convict Jonathan based on his character and you can’t punish him for his opinions because you don’t like him.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 24, 2026

It was a convict ship bound for a speck of an island in distant waters.

From "The Whipping Boy" by Sid Fleischman

“Sorcerer” is about a group of fugitives driving a load of dynamite across the jungle; “The Weight” follows a group of Depression-era convicts transferring gold through the forest.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 18, 2026

Even charges like the ones Rojas faces can be devastating, whether or not a jury ever convicts.

From Slate ● Feb. 21, 2026

"This court finds the accused guilty of all 21 charges and convicts the accused accordingly," Judge Collin Lawrence Sequerah said.

From Barron's ● Dec. 26, 2025

It is unclear what "exile" entails, though in other instances convicts have been sent to remote areas.

From BBC ● Oct. 14, 2025

When I was a foul, vicious convict, so evil that other convicts had called me Satan, this man had rescued me.

From "The Autobiography of Malcolm X" by Alex Malcolm X;Hailey

Hashim Thaci was convicted in one of the final verdicts in a series of landmark trials arising from the bloody dissolution of the former Yugoslavia.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 18, 2026

He’d been stunned by his star’s nearly centurylong sentence and came away from a review of the case suspecting that Walters may have been wrongfully convicted.

From Slate ● Sep. 17, 2026

Petrie denied the allegations but was convicted of nine charges after a trial at the High Court in Glasgow.

From BBC ● Sep. 17, 2026

She was convicted in 2023 and has twice been denied permission to appeal against her convictions.

From BBC ● Sep. 15, 2026

He couldn't explain what he had been convicted of or even clearly describe what he wanted me to do.

From "Just Mercy" by Bryan Stevenson

Hoppock worries that by moving straight to deportation proceedings, the federal government has found a way to skip prosecuting and convicting.

From Salon ● May 14, 2026

It’s true that we don’t want juries convicting simply because they don’t like the defendant.

From Slate ● Apr. 22, 2026

The letter argued that the legal standard for convicting someone of a crime shouldn’t be used when deciding whether Khan should continue to serve as chief prosecutor.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 1, 2026

The key witness in convicting the suspects - Jack Whomes and Michael Steele - was police informer and so-called supergrass Darren Nicholls, from Braintree, who gave evidence against his former friends at their trial.

From BBC ● Feb. 14, 2025

This was the first evidence we presented that suggested that people in law enforcement had been so focused on convicting Walter that they were prepared to ignore or even hide evidence that contradicted their case.

From "Just Mercy" by Bryan Stevenson

Related Words

• captive
• felon
• prisoner