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Which film centers on jurors debating whether a defendant’s conviction is justified?

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conviction

American  

[kuhn-vik-shuhn] / kənˈvɪk ʃən /

noun

• convictions
  plural

1. 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.

2. the act of convicting someone, as in a court of law; a declaration that a person is guilty of an offense.

3. the state of being convicted.

4. the act of convincing a person by argument or evidence.

5. the state of being convinced.

   Antonyms:

   uncertainty, doubt

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conviction British  

/ kənˈvɪkʃən /

noun

1. the state or appearance of being convinced

2. a fixed or firmly held belief, opinion, etc

3. the act of convincing

4. the act or an instance of convicting or the state of being convicted

5. to be convincing

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conviction Idioms  

1. see courage of one's convictions.

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Synonym Usage

See belief.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• nonconviction
  noun
• preconviction
  noun
• reconviction
  noun
• convictional
  adjective
• proconviction
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• convictions
  plural

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.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

conviction convictions

"This has gone from a FPN for throwing a cigarette butt down - I've never touched a cigarette in my life - to getting a criminal conviction without even knowing," he said.

From BBC ● Aug. 19, 2026

Arthur Andersen surrendered its CPA license, effectively putting the firm out of business in 2002, although the Supreme Court later overturned the conviction.

From Salon ● Aug. 19, 2026

Australian toxic mushroom killer Erin Patterson launches an appeal on Wednesday against her conviction in a triple-murder case that made headlines worldwide.

From Barron's ● Aug. 18, 2026

“But if there’s conviction behind your throw, you can still get major-league hitters out. And he proved that tonight.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 18, 2026

A short time after the trial and conviction, one of Ames's disillusioned CIA colleagues reflected on the larger meaning of his capture and sentencing.

From "Spies: The Secret Showdown Between America and Russia" by Marc Favreau

About 30 million Americans are barred from owning guns because of their criminal convictions, according to the department.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 17, 2026

Through May, prosecutors had charged fewer than four dozen people with crimes related to noncitizen voting, ProPublica’s analysis of DOJ data and federal court filings shows, getting convictions or guilty pleas in 14 cases.

From Salon ● Aug. 15, 2026

DNA is now a gold standard, used to expose false convictions.

From Slate ● Aug. 13, 2026

A retrial briefly reinstated their convictions in 2014, but Italy's top court overturned them again in 2015.

From BBC ● Aug. 11, 2026

For some, deep religious convictions can soften harsh human emotions.

From "The Best of Enemies" by Osha Gray Davidson

Related Words

• confidence
• faith
• feeling
• principle
• sentiment
• view