conviction
Americannoun
-
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
Synonym Usage
See belief.
Other Word Forms
Derived 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.
“Over 97% of parolees successfully transition into their communities without a new conviction within three years.”
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 8, 2026
A "pardon after completion of sentence" would mean that Bankman-Fried's conviction on various counts of fraud would be forgiven after he serves his jail sentence.
From BBC • Jun. 8, 2026
Access to one of the world’s richest men, with his deep-pocketed foundation and unmatched convening power in global health, would have lent Epstein the legitimacy he was seeking after his 2008 conviction.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 8, 2026
"If someone joined in the 1920s or early 1930s, before Hitler came to power, it tends to indicate a conviction, that they really wanted to actively fight for the cause," said Spohr.
From Barron's • Jun. 5, 2026
In the case of the great mathematician Roberval the result was a pathological conviction that other people were stealing his ideas.
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.
