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.
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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.
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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
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to be convincing
Related Words
See belief.
Other Word Forms
- convictional adjective
- nonconviction noun
- preconviction noun
- proconviction adjective
- reconviction noun
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; 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.
Elias said Williams was of "exemplary character and 570 character references have been received since his conviction".
From BBC • Apr. 14, 2026
Even three weeks into the conflict, Matejka and team were advising clients that oversold signals had begun to appear and their conviction in that view appears to be solidifying.
From MarketWatch • Apr. 13, 2026
Sometimes it’s wishful thinking that feels like conviction.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 9, 2026
He was detained by immigration authorities upon his release in November 2024, and his green card was revoked after an immigration judge ordered his deportation due to his felony conviction.
From Barron's • Apr. 7, 2026
What makes the strong programme strong is the conviction that the content of science, and not just the ways in which science is organized, or the values and aspirations of scientists, can be explained sociologically.
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.
