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Webster 1913 Edition

Conviction

Con-vic′tion

(kŏn-vĭk′shŭn)
,
Noun.
[L.
convictio
proof: cf. F.
conviction
conviction (in sense 3 & 4). See
Convict
,
Convince
.]
1.
The act of convicting; the act of proving, finding, or adjudging, guilty of an offense.
The greater certainty of
conviction
and the greater certainty of punishment.
Hallam.
2.
(Law)
A judgment of condemnation entered by a court having jurisdiction; the act or process of finding guilty, or the state of being found guilty of any crime by a legal tribunal.
Conviction
may accrue two ways.
Blackstone.
3.
The act of convincing of error, or of compelling the admission of a truth; confutation.
For all his tedious talk is but vain boast,
Or subtle shifts
conviction
to evade.
Milton.
4.
The state of being convinced or convicted; strong persuasion or belief; especially, the state of being convicted of sin, or by one’s conscience.
To call good evil, and evil good, against the
conviction
of their own consciences.
Swift.
Syn. –
Conviction
;
persuasion
.
– Conviction respects soley matters of belief or faith; persuasion respects matters of belief or practice. Conviction respects our most important duties; persuasion is frequently applied to matters of indifference.
Crabb.
– Conviction is the result of the [operation of the] understanding; persuasion, of the will. Conviction is a necessity of the mind, persuasion an acquiescence of the inclination.
C. J. Smith.
– Persuasion often induces men to act in opposition to their conviction of duty.

Webster 1828 Edition

Conviction

CONVICTION

,
Noun.
1.
The act of proving, finding or determining to be guilty of an offense charged against a person before a legal tribunal; as by confession, by the verdict of a jury, or by the sentence of other tribunal, as in the summary convictions before commissioners of the revenue.
2.
The act of convincing, or compelling one to admit the truth of a charge; the act of convincing of sin or sinfulness; the sate of being convinced or convicted by conscience; the state of being sensible of guilt; as, the convictions of a sinner may be temporary, or lasting and efficacious. By conviction, a sinner is brought to repentance. Men often sin against the conviction of their own consciences.
3.
The act of convincing of error; confutation; the act of compelling one to acknowledge his error, or the truth of what is alledged; as, the conviction of a heretic may induce him to abandon his errors.

Definition 2024

conviction

conviction

English

Noun

conviction ‎(plural convictions)

  1. (countable) A firmly held belief.
  2. (countable) A judgement of guilt in a court of law.
    • 2011 December 14, Steven Morris, “Devon woman jailed for 168 days for killing kitten in microwave”, in Guardian:
      He said Robins had not been in trouble with the law before and had no previous convictions. Jail would have an adverse effect on her and her three children as she was the main carer.
  3. (uncountable) The state of being found or proved guilty.
  4. (uncountable) The state of being convinced.
    • 2013, Daniel Taylor, Rickie Lambert's debut goal gives England victory over Scotland (in The Guardian, 14 August 2013)
      The visitors were being pinned back by the end of the first half. Yet Gordon Strachan's side played with great conviction and always had a chance of springing a surprise when their opponents were so susceptible at the back.

Synonyms

  • See also Wikisaurus:obstinacy

Derived terms

Related terms

Translations

French

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /kɔ̃.vik.sjɔ̃/
  • Homophone: convictions
  • Hyphenation: con‧vic‧tion

Noun

conviction f ‎(plural convictions)

  1. conviction

Etymology

Borrowing from Anglo-Norman conviction, from Latin convictiō, from convictus, the past participle of convincō ‎(“to convict”).

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /kənˈvɪkʃən/

Similar Results