convict
Americanverb (used with object)
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to prove or declare guilty of an offense, especially after a legal trial.
to convict a prisoner of a felony.
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to impress with a sense of guilt.
noun
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a person proved or declared guilty of an offense.
-
a person serving a prison sentence.
adjective
verb
noun
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a person found guilty of an offence against the law, esp one who is sentenced to imprisonment
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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
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.
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
I play Dana Berg, a feared government prosecutor attempting to convict attorney Mickey Haller, played by Manuel Garcia-Rulfo.
From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 17, 2026
The judge said hearsay evidence could be considered, but jurors should be "careful" as it had not been given under oath and should "not convict the defendant mainly in reliance on it."
From BBC • Jan. 26, 2026
“It makes it harder for me to convict dangerous felons when … witnesses are getting deported, victims are getting deported, and the defendant or the perpetrator themselves are getting deported,” she said.
From Salon • Dec. 26, 2025
I felt like a convict in an old prison movie, returning to my cell each night to tunnel through the wall with a teaspoon.
From "Ready Player One: A Novel" by Ernest Cline
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.
