convict
Americanverb (used with object)
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convicts,
present (3rd person singular)
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convicted,
past participle, past
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convicting
present participle
-
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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convicts
plural
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a person proved or declared guilty of an offense.
-
a person serving a prison sentence.
adjective
verb
noun
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a person found guilty of an offence against the law, esp one who is sentenced to imprisonment
-
a person serving a prison sentence
adjective
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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preconvictverb (used with object)
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reconvictverb (used with object)
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convictableadjective
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convictibleadjective
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convictiveadjective
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unconvictingadjective
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unconvictiveadjective
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convictivelyadverb
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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convictsimple
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convictssimple
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have convictedperfect
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has convictedperfect
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am convictingprogressive
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are convictingprogressive
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is convictingprogressive
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have been convictingperfect progressive
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has been convictingperfect progressive
Past
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convictedsimple
-
had convictedperfect
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was convictingprogressive
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were convictingprogressive
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had been convictingperfect progressive
Future
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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Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
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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.
See Examples For:
To convict them of a crime, laws often also require prosecutors to prove that they acted intentionally or knowingly.
From Slate ● Oct. 25, 2026
Buchanan, 72, had been incarcerated since 2004 for kidnapping a convict who was harassing a corrupt prison guard.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 22, 2026
“That’s not a defense, but the reality is some jurors won’t want to convict because they feel sympathy to the defendant or they feel this is a waste of government resources.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 9, 2026
Under US law, a jury must unanimously believe "beyond a reasonable doubt" that someone is guilty in order to convict them of a crime.
From BBC ● Sep. 4, 2026
At the start of 1938, when the trial had resumed in Vancouver, her testimony helped convict Lim and his gang.
From "The Woman All Spies Fear" by Amy Butler Greenfield
Most of the Russians fighting under Stupnikov were convicts granted early release and untrained recruits who had signed up for money.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 16, 2026
But Amanda Seyfried’s Karen, a creative-writing teacher of convicts in Oklahoma, is nonetheless drawn to this man, someone who pays her the attention she is otherwise lacking.
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
“The convicts wash my shirts, as in murderer convicts and kidnapper convicts, and then I’m supposed to wear them?”
From "Al Capone Does My Shirts" by Gennifer Choldenko
Think of it as speeding’s version of ignition-interlock devices, which force people convicted of DUI to pass a breathalyzer test to start the engine.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 2, 2026
Glenn Youngkin narrowed it to 100-plus mph convictions, though drivers clocked going slower can still wind up with a speed-limiting device, as can motorists convicted of racing.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 2, 2026
If convicted, Mogambi faces a mandatory prison term of at least 10 years, according to the Justice Department.
From BBC ● Oct. 30, 2026
Authorities say those convicted will also face appropriate orders for forfeiture of assets and restitution to victims, in addition to any prison sentences.
From BBC ● Oct. 30, 2026
His firsthand perspective on the plight of people wrongfully convicted was deeply meaningful to students, who often seemed overwhelmed by Walter's testimony.
From "Just Mercy" by Bryan Stevenson
State officials rarely prosecute federal agents for actions related to their official duties because the agents have legal protections that can make convicting them difficult.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 18, 2026
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
Jurors deliberated for a little under an hour before convicting Byers.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 12, 2026
When Faye died, he knew instinctively that Kate was probably responsible, but he also knew he hadn’t much of any chance of convicting her, and a wise sheriff doesn’t butt his head against the impossible.
From "East of Eden" by John Steinbeck
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