conviction

American  

[kuhn-vik-shuhn] / kənˈvɪk ʃən /

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

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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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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.

Example Sentences

Assuming it continues, that consolidation points to a rebuild in conviction that the asymmetry is toward rate cuts in the U.S., they say.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 13, 2026

But more importantly, in the U.S. at least, investors are operating under the conviction that both the U.S. and Iran are motivated to find an offramp for the conflict.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 13, 2026

Hamilton will face a gross misconduct hearing after his conviction.

From BBC • Apr. 10, 2026

My strong conviction, at least for Amazon, is that the answers are no, no, and yes,” Jassy writes in a shareholder letter for fiscal year 2025, published Thursday.

From Barron's • Apr. 9, 2026

This conviction provides yet another reason for insisting that there was no such thing as ‘the Scientific Revolution of the seventeenth century’.

From "The Invention of Science" by David Wootton

Related Words

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