convincing
Americanadjective
-
persuading or assuring by argument or evidence.
They gave a convincing demonstration of the car's safety features.
-
appearing worthy of belief; plausible.
The excuse was not convincing.
adjective
-
credible or plausible
-
law persuading by evidence or argument
Other Word Forms
- convincingly adverb
- convincingness noun
- half-convincing adjective
- half-convincingly adverb
- unconvincing adjective
- unconvincingly adverb
Etymology
Origin of convincing
Explanation
When something is convincing, it makes people agree with what it claims to be true. Describe an argument as convincing if it wins you over and makes you believe in its rightness. To figure out what convincing means, remember that vincere is the Latin word for "to conquer." Add on the prefix con-, meaning "with," and you get something that has the ability to conquer — whether it's doubts, disbelief, or hostility. The suffix -ing tells you that the word describes the action or result of something. The result of a convincing argument is more people who have joined your side or cause.
Vocabulary lists containing convincing
Academic Vocabulary Toolkit 1, Words 31-40
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"To Kill a Mockingbird" by Harper Lee, Chapters 20–25
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"The War of the Wall" by Toni Cade Bambara
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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.
Reports say China played a significant role in convincing Iran, its close ally, to agree to Pakistan's request.
From BBC • Apr. 8, 2026
The US intelligence agency the CIA helping to locate him and launched a "deception campaign" aimed at convincing Iranian authorities that he had already been found, the newspaper added.
From Barron's • Apr. 5, 2026
That’s why neither defeatism nor triumphalism is convincing.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 2, 2026
It’s not worth a subscription just for “Malcolm in the Middle,” but when you add “Paradise,” “Scrubs” and “Sunny Nights,” there’s a convincing argument.
From MarketWatch • Mar. 31, 2026
Sometime between 1534 and 1549 Jean Taisnier, a musician and mathematician, remarked that Aristotle was sometimes mistaken; he was challenged by a representative of the pope to produce a convincing example of Aristotle being wrong.
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.
