Dictionary

conviction en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• /kənˈvɪkʃən/
• [kənˈvɪkʃən] ~ [kənˈvɪkʃn̩]
• (US) audio

Etymology

From late Middle English conviction, from Anglo-Norman conviction, from Latin convictiō, from convictus, the past participle of convincō (“to convict”). Equivalent to convict + -ion.

Meanings

1. (countable) A firmly held belief.
   • "...I imagined...that the husband of the lady might very easily be in Russia while his wife's health might necessitate her wintering in Egypt..." "But my mother thinks not. My mother thinks there is not a husband at all,—that there never was a husband. In fact my mother has very strong convictions on the subject..." 1897, Marie Corelli, “Chapter I”, in Ziska: The Problem of a Wicked Soul, New York: Stone & Kimball, page 27:
   • It is of the nature of the intellectual's job that he must use his own knowledge and convictions in performing his daily task. 1949, F. A. Hayek, “The Intellectuals and Socialism”, in University of Chicago Law Review, volume 16, number 3, Chicago: University of Chicago, →DOI, page 421:
2. (countable) A judgement of guilt in a court of law.
   • 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. 2011 December 14, Steven Morris, “Devon woman jailed for 168 days for killing kitten in microwave”, in Guardian:
3. (uncountable) The state of being wholly convinced.
   • Analogies are used in aid of Conviction: Metaphors, as means of Illustration. 1825, Samuel Taylor Coleridge, “Aphorisms on that which is indeed spiritual religion”, in Aids to Reflection, page 198:
   • 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. 2013 August 14, Daniel Taylor, The Guardian:
4. (uncountable) The state of being found or proved guilty.
   • The rush to convict suspects on weak evidence may well lead not only to conviction of the innocent, but also to the release of the guilty from liability for the crime, as occurred in the famous Alfred Dreyfus case, which I shall discuss later. 2009, Chester Porter, The Conviction of the Innocent:
   • From G. R. Ratts , Game Warden , fines collected on conviction of violation of State game law . 1902, Illinois. Auditor's Office, Report of the Auditor of Public Accounts, page 6:
   • Where evidence in prosecution for larceny of two doors of the value of more than $50.00 sustained verdict that defendant had stolen the doors but was insufficient to establish that the doors were worth $50.00 or more, conviction of grand larceny would be reduced, on appeal to conviction of petit larceny. 1994, West's Florida statutes annotated, page 107:
   • I do not know of any Federal statute which carries with it forfeiture of citizenship or civil rights except this one that we are discussing, which is conviction of desertion committed in time of war and conviction of treason. 1943, United States. Congress. House. Committee on Immigration and Naturalization, Loss of Nationality and Citizenship Because of Conviction of Desertion from The Armed Forces, page 6:
   • Thus, the argument continues, federal prosecutors would be motivated to seek Major Crimes Act indictments in marginal cases because they could be relatively certain of getting some conviction. 1976, United States. Congress. House. Committee on the Judiciary. Subcommittee on Criminal Justice, Criminal Jurisdiction in Indian Country, page 44:

Forms

Antonyms

acquittal

Deriveds

coonviction · postconviction · certificate of no criminal conviction · carry conviction · nonconviction · self-conviction · convictional · pièce de conviction · reconviction · misconviction · courage of one's convictions · preconviction

Hyponyms

misconviction · reconviction

Relateds

convict · guilt

Synonyms

convincement · attaintment · condemnation · condemnation · condemnation · proscription · judgement · judgement · resolution · conviction

Translations (87)

cs přesvědčení (firmly held belief) · hu elítélő határozat (judgement of guilt) · fo sannføring (firmly held belief) · mk убедување (firmly held belief) · fa-ira عَقیدِه (firmly held belief) · scn cumminziuni (state of being convinced) · id pemidanaan (judgement of guilt) · nb fellende dom (judgement of guilt) · pt convicção (firmly held belief) · cs odsouzení (judgement of guilt) · es convicción (firmly held belief) · ko 신념 (firmly held belief) · ru убежде́ние (firmly held belief) · eo kondamno (judgement of guilt) · ca condemna (judgement of guilt) · fi syyllisyys (state of being found or proved guilty) · fa-ira اِعْتِقاد (firmly held belief) · ms sabitan (judgement of guilt) · ru убежде́ние (state of being convinced) · el πεποίθηση (firmly held belief) · gl convicción (firmly held belief) · az əqidə (firmly held belief) · be перакана́ньне (firmly held belief) · scn cumminziuni (firmly held belief) · cs usvědčení (judgement of guilt) · fi langettava tuomio (judgement of guilt) · de Überzeugung (firmly held belief) · es convencimiento (state of being convinced) · bg убеде́ност (state of being convinced) · enm stedefastnesse (state of being convinced) · ru осужде́ние (judgement of guilt) · el πίστη (firmly held belief) · he הרשעה (judgement of guilt) · sl prepričanje (firmly held belief) · ar عَقِيدَة (firmly held belief) · be перакана́нне (firmly held belief) · bg осъ́ждане (judgement of guilt) · ar اِعْتِقَاد (firmly held belief) · hu meggyőződés (firmly held belief) · fi vakaumus (firmly held belief) · ru убеждённость (state of being convinced) · sv fällande dom (judgement of guilt) · pdt Äwazeijunk (firmly held belief) · ru уве́ренность (state of being convinced) · hu elítélés (judgement of guilt) · nb domsavsigelse (judgement of guilt) · ru суди́мость (state of being found or proved guilty) · ro credință (firmly held belief) · pl przekonanie (firmly held belief) · nb overbevisning (state of being convinced) · bg уве́реност (state of being convinced) · it condanna (judgement of guilt) · uk перекона́ння (firmly held belief) · cmn 信念 (firmly held belief) · yi איבערצײַגונג (firmly held belief) · nb overbevisning (firmly held belief) · tl hatulsala (judgement of guilt) · it convinzione (firmly held belief) · id pidana (judgement of guilt) · sv övertygelse (firmly held belief) · ro convingere (firmly held belief) · ja 信念 (firmly held belief) · scn cunnanna (judgement of guilt) · pl wyrok (judgement of guilt) · bg убежде́ние (firmly held belief) · nb dom (judgement of guilt) · nl veroordeling (judgement of guilt) · sl obsodba (judgement of guilt) · ru убеждённость (firmly held belief) · ca convicció (firmly held belief) · da overbevisning (firmly held belief) · nl overtuiging (firmly held belief) · ja 有罪判決 (judgement of guilt) · de Verurteilung (judgement of guilt) · grc καταδίκη (judgement of guilt) · it colpevolezza (state of being found or proved guilty) · fo sakfelling (judgement of guilt) · pt condenação (judgement of guilt) · scn curpivulizza (state of being found or proved guilty) · pl przeświadczenie (firmly held belief) · el καταδίκη (judgement of guilt) · hy համոզմունք (firmly held belief) · mi mau tangetange (judgement of guilt) · fi vakuuttuneisuus (state of being convinced) · sk presvedčenie (firmly held belief) · eo konvinkiĝo (state of being convinced) · uk перекона́ння (state of being convinced)