conviction
Americannoun
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a fixed or firm belief.
No clever argument, no persuasive fact or theory could make a dent in his conviction in the rightness of his position.
-
the act of convicting someone, as in a court of law; a declaration that a person is guilty of an offense.
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the state of being convicted.
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the act of convincing a person by argument or evidence.
-
the state of being convinced.
- Antonyms:
- uncertainty, doubt
noun
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the state or appearance of being convinced
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a fixed or firmly held belief, opinion, etc
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the act of convincing
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the act or an instance of convicting or the state of being convicted
-
to be convincing
Related Words
See belief.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of conviction
First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English, from Late Latin convictiōn-, stem of convictiō “proof (of guilt)” from convict(us) “convinced, conquered” (past participle of convincere; see convince) + -iō -ion ( def. )
Explanation
A conviction is something certain: a judgment of guilty in court and a strong belief are both convictions. In the legal world, when a judge or jury convicts someone of a crime — finding them guilty — this is called a conviction. Prosecutors try to get convictions, and defense attorneys try to prevent them. Also, convictions are beliefs — principles. The United States was founded on many convictions, such as the belief in free speech and separation of church and state. When you have a conviction, you're certain of something.
Vocabulary lists containing conviction
The Outsiders
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Grade 9, List 1
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"The Crucible" -- Vocabulary from all 4 Acts
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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.
What’s changing now is that officials can no longer forecast with the same conviction when it will return to target.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 20, 2026
His conviction is so strong that he’s betting Tesla on it.
From Barron's • May 18, 2026
The two married in 1985 and remained in Aspen afterLonget’s conviction but also spent time at their second home in Hawaii.
From Los Angeles Times • May 15, 2026
The conviction marks a significant win for Justice Department efforts against Chinese influence, following a separate plea deal this week.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 13, 2026
It was only with hindsight that they came to symbolize a new era; and it was the Scientific Revolution itself which was chiefly responsible for the Enlightenment’s conviction that progress had become unstoppable.
From "The Invention of Science" by David Wootton
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.
