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

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

“It’s hard for a jury to convict when they feel no empathy for the victim. They dirtied up the victim and made her repugnant to the jury.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 30, 2026

Even if the formula were adjusted, however, Cleve Arguelles of pollster WR Numero told AFP he does not believe the numbers are there to convict.

From Barron's ● Jul. 6, 2026

He added: "Only where you are satisfied beyond reasonable doubt can you convict … that is the law."

From BBC ● Jun. 18, 2026

The boastful convict was Sergeant Thomas Hickey, one of Washington’s bodyguards.

From "George Washington, Spymaster" by Thomas B. Allen

He had been placed in Atascadero State Hospital, a maximum-security prison for mentally ill convicts located between Los Angeles and San Francisco.

From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 2, 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

Relatives of the inmates’ victims are divided over altering regulations to ensure the convicts go to Florence, rather than to the mainline prisons their disciplinary records called for.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 11, 2025

Exactly as I had known it would, almost overnight the Charlestown convicts, black and white, began buzzing with the story.

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

Prosecutors believed that if they convicted Hanway they would have an easier time getting juries to find the rest guilty.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 2, 2026

The 63-year-old Davis, convicted of murder, faces a potential life sentence.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 1, 2026

In response to the furore over PC Harper's case, Prime Minister Andy Burnham has said anyone convicted of unlawful killing - including all forms of manslaughter - will be excluded from the scheme.

From BBC ● Sep. 1, 2026

If convicted, Davis faces possible life in prison without parole.

From Barron's ● Aug. 31, 2026

Similarly, the overwhelming majority of people on parole were convicted of nonviolent crimes.

From "The New Jim Crow" by Michelle Alexander

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

Martin Hewitt, tasked with curbing Channel crossings, said more than 4,000 disruptions against smuggling gangs had taken place since his unit was set up, including seizing cash and convicting key players.

From BBC ● Jan. 4, 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

Related Words

• captive
• felon
• prisoner