Meaning & use
conviction
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Meanings
nouncountable or uncountable
A strongly held belief or opinion that you are sure is right.
Grammar: Countable for a belief (deeply held convictions) or uncountable for firmness (spoke with conviction).
Patterns
- a conviction that something
- the courage of your convictions
It was her conviction that every child deserves a good teacher.
He spoke with such conviction that the crowd fell silent.
They acted according to their moral convictions.
nouncountablelegal
A court's official decision that someone is guilty of a crime.
Grammar: Often followed by for: a conviction for fraud.
Patterns
- a conviction for something
- a conviction of someone
His conviction for theft led to a prison sentence.
The lawyer will appeal the conviction.
She has no previous convictions.
nounsingular
The state of being sure about something, often as a feeling that it is true.
Grammar: Often with a growing or sudden conviction.
Patterns
- a growing conviction that
She felt a growing conviction that the plan would fail.
His conviction that he had been wronged never wavered.
There was no conviction in her voice when she apologized.
Word forms
| plural | convictions |
|---|
Common combinations
- firm conviction
- He held a firm conviction that honesty matters.
- strong convictions
- She has strong convictions about animal welfare.
- overturn a conviction
- The appeals court overturned his conviction.
- previous conviction
- The driver had a previous conviction for speeding.
- lack conviction
- His speech lacked conviction and bored the audience.
- courage of your convictions
- He had the courage of his convictions and resigned.
Synonyms and how they differ
- belief
- Belief is more general and can be weak or casual, while conviction implies a firm certainty.
- certainty
- Certainty is a sure state of mind, often based on evidence, while conviction is closer to a deeply held view.
- principle
- A principle is a rule you live by, whereas conviction is the strength of your belief.
- verdict
- Verdict is the decision of a jury or judge on guilt, and guilty verdict leads to a conviction.
Opposites
Word family
- convict verb
- to declare someone guilty in court
- convinced adjective
- completely sure
- convincing adjective
- able to make people believe
- convict noun
- a person found guilty and imprisoned
Commonly confused: conviction or conviction? conviction or persuasion?
conviction vs conviction
Be careful not to confuse the legal and personal senses; context decides which is meant.
conviction vs persuasion
Persuasion is the act of getting others to agree, not your own firm belief.
Practice
The defendant's ___ for burglary was overturned on appeal.
Choose one answer.
In law a conviction is the official guilty decision. Opinion is a view and would not be overturned by a court.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “conviction”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.