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.
Before these therapies become routine options for common conditions, researchers will need convincing evidence that their benefits last, their risks remain acceptably low over many years, and their costs are manageable.
From Science Daily ● Nov. 4, 2026
Logan Wright offers a provocative and convincing perspective on China’s economic trajectory in “Broken China.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 3, 2026
There’s a risk that the deal could fall through, Needham analyst Ryan Koontz told MarketWatch, noting that Lumentum’s board “still has some convincing to do” to get shareholders in agreement.
From MarketWatch ● Nov. 2, 2026
Instead, Spurs grasped gratefully at the helping hand offered by Mateta's recklessness to end up convincing winners.
From BBC ● Oct. 31, 2026
“Angry tears have magic in them,” Mae explained to Connor, but he didn’t appear to need convincing.
From "Willodeen" by Katherine Applegate
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
