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conviction

noun

No clever argument, no persuasive fact or theory could make a dent in his conviction in the rightness of his position.
the act of convicting
someone, as in a court of law; a declaration that a person is guilty of an offense.
the act of convincing a person by argument or evidence.
the state of being convinced.
Antonyms: uncertainty, doubt

/ kənˈvɪkʃən /

noun

the state or appearance of being convinced
a fixed or firmly held belief, opinion, etc
the act or an instance of convicting or the state of being convicted
carry conviction

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Derived Forms

conˈvictional, adjective

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Other Words From

con·viction·al adjective
noncon·viction noun
precon·viction noun
procon·viction adjective
recon·viction noun

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Word History and Origins

Origin of conviction1

First recorded in

1400–50; late Middle English, from Late Latin convictiōn-, stem of convictiō “proof (of guilt)” from convict(us) “convinced, conquered” (past participle of convincere; convince

) + -iō

-ion ( def )

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Synonym Study

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Example Sentences

Advocates and legal experts said there was no guarantee that undocumented migrants without criminal convictions would not be ensnared in ramped-up deportation efforts.

Like the man who beat Irina, many of the attackers have previous criminal convictions and were released from prison specifically to join Russia’s war in Ukraine.

Judge Daniel Rafecas said the warrants would apply to those who had "convictions with definite prison sentences," Brazilian news outlet Globo reported.

From start to finish it felt like there were so many unnecessary obstacles to getting a conviction.

With their subpoena, Texas lawmakers said they planned to address questions surrounding Roberson's case and new scientific developments that could impact his conviction.

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023