convict
Americanverb (used with object)
-
to prove or declare guilty of an offense, especially after a legal trial.
to convict a prisoner of a felony.
-
to impress with a sense of guilt.
noun
-
a person proved or declared guilty of an offense.
-
a person serving a prison sentence.
adjective
verb
noun
-
a person found guilty of an offence against the law, esp one who is sentenced to imprisonment
-
a person serving a prison sentence
adjective
Other Word Forms
- convictable adjective
- convictible adjective
- convictive adjective
- convictively adverb
- preconvict verb (used with object)
- reconvict verb (used with object)
- unconvicting adjective
- unconvictive adjective
Etymology
Origin of convict
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English verb convicten, from Latin convictus, past participle of convincere, equivalent to con- “with, together” + vic-, variant stem of vincere “to overcome” + -tus past participle suffix; Middle English noun convict “(a) convict,” adjective convict “convicted,” past participle of convicten “to convince” (or directly from Latin ); con-, convince
Explanation
A convict is a person who has been found guilty — convicted — of a crime and is serving a sentence in prison. When you convict (accent on the second syllable) someone of a crime, you find them guilty. The person is then a convict (accent on the first syllable). When the person is released from jail, he's an ex-con, that is, he's not a convict any more.
Vocabulary lists containing convict
13th Amendment (1865)
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"To Kill a Mockingbird" by Harper Lee, Chapters 20–25
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Twelve Angry Men
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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.
There are signs that the charges won’t stick: A Georgia judge released Moore on a $1 bond on the murder charge because he was so unconvinced that a jury would convict her.
From Slate • Apr. 6, 2026
According to Boylan’s federal appeals team, the term “misconduct” permitted the jury to convict him of something less than gross negligence, contrary to the required standard.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 3, 2026
It was their evidence in court that helped to convict him.
From BBC • Feb. 16, 2026
Jurors did convict him of a lesser charge of lying to investigators when, in a 2020 interview with the Fed’s internal-watchdog office, he denied sharing sensitive information outside the central bank.
From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 3, 2026
There was reasonable doubt, he emphasized, so the jury could not convict.
From "Snow Falling on Cedars: A Novel" by David Guterson
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.
