- present participle of convince.
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
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.
In her bracing debut, “Catch the Devil,” Pamela Colloff mounts a convincing case for his innocence.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jul. 10, 2026
But there’s a strong chance something will go wrong during many of those vacations, which makes a convincing case for buying a travel-insurance policy — especially if you’ll be springing for a pricey trip.
From MarketWatch • Jul. 9, 2026
Finding convincing evidence of ancient Martian life means telling apart organic molecules created by living organisms from those produced through ordinary chemistry.
From Science Daily • Jul. 9, 2026
Policies shouldn’t be focused on convincing or penalizing the intentionally child-free.
From Slate • Jul. 6, 2026
Before I could come up with a convincing excuse to avoid death by indigestion, a hand fell on my lower back.
From "The City Beautiful" by Aden Polydoros
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.
