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. )
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.
They repeatedly moved to dismiss the treason count, noting that conviction required a “breach of allegiance, and can be committed by him only who owes allegiance either perpetual or temporary.”
From Slate • Apr. 2, 2026
Mizuho publishes a list each month of its U.S. analysts’ highest conviction ideas.
From Barron's • Apr. 2, 2026
He wrote it would take "a lot of strength, passion, and conviction" to restore his country "back where it deserves to be".
From BBC • Apr. 1, 2026
The same result using active management requires superior valuation techniques, prescience in forecasting innovation and its addressable market, and conviction in sizing each bet.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 27, 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.
