conviction

[kuhn-vik-shuhn]

noun

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

conviction

/ 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

Other Word Forms

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of conviction¹

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. )

Idioms and Phrases

see courage of one's convictions.

Synonym Study

See belief.

Example Sentences

No cases have ended in a conviction at trial.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

After his conviction, the family court judge ruled that the couple's children would be able to visit their dad in prison after he began his sentence.

Read more on BBC

Yet he acquired a reputation as a dandy, a clever humorist and an intellectual showman, distinctly apolitical and seemingly a man of no convictions.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Call that what it is: a defensive maneuver, not conviction.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

But pardons before convictions have been granted only once in Israel’s history.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

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