Showing results for "convincing"

• present participle of convince.

convincing

American  

[kuhn-vin-sing] / kənˈvɪn sɪŋ /

adjective

1. persuading or assuring by argument or evidence.

   They gave a convincing demonstration of the car's safety features.

2. appearing worthy of belief; plausible.

   The excuse was not convincing.

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convincing British  

/ kənˈvɪnsɪŋ /

adjective

1. credible or plausible

2. law persuading by evidence or argument

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Other Word Forms

• convincingness
  noun
• half-convincing
  adjective
• unconvincing
  adjective
• convincingly
  adverb
• half-convincingly
  adverb
• unconvincingly
  adverb

Etymology

Origin of convincing

First recorded in 1605–15; convince + -ing ²

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.

Related Words

• authentic
• cogent
• conclusive
• credible
• impressive
• plausible
• powerful
• probable
• reasonable
• reliable
• satisfactory
• satisfying
• solid
• telling
• trustworthy