convict

1 of 3

noun

con·​vict ˈkän-ˌvikt 

1

: a person convicted of and under sentence for a crime

2

: a person serving a usually long prison sentence

convict

2 of 3

verb

con·​vict kən-ˈvikt 

convicted; convicting; convicts

transitive verb

1

: to find or prove to be guilty

The jury convicted them of fraud.

2

: to convince of error or sinfulness

intransitive verb

: to find a defendant guilty

Remarkably, two of the jurors boldly dug in their heels and pressed to convict.

—John Grisham

convict

3 of 3

adjective

con·​vict kən-ˈvikt 

archaic

: having been convicted

Synonyms

Noun

• con
• jailbird

Verb

• condemn

Examples of convict in a Sentence

Noun

a warning that the three escaped convicts were armed and dangerous

Verb

There is sufficient evidence to convict.

He was convicted in federal court.

The jury convicted them on three counts of fraud.

Have you ever been convicted of a crime?

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

But one of the convicts used the slack security measures during rehearsals to plan a bank robbery, which ended up in the murder of two police officers, known as the infamous Malexander shootings of 1999. —Annika Pham, Variety, 23 Jan. 2025

An Idaho woman who participated on the 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol has refused a pardon from President Trump and opposed those of other Jan. 6 convicts. —Brian Niemietz, New York Daily News, 22 Jan. 2025

Verb

On his first day in office, Trump commuted the sentences of 14 defendants and pardoned all of the more than 1,200 violent and nonviolent defendants who had been convicted over the riot. —Ashley Oliver, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 24 Jan. 2025

His far-reaching pardons for people convicted of attacking police officers at the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, have already led to uncomfortable responses from Republicans. —Reid J. Epstein, New York Times, 24 Jan. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Verb, Noun, and Adjective

Middle English, from Anglo-French convicter, from Latin convictus, past participle of convincere to refute, convict

First Known Use

Noun

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Adjective

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing convict

• escaped convict

Kids Definition

convict

1 of 2 verb

con·​vict kən-ˈvikt 

: to find or prove guilty

convict

2 of 2 noun

con·​vict ˈkän-ˌvikt 

: a person serving a prison sentence

Legal Definition

convict

1 of 2 transitive verb

con·​vict kən-ˈvikt 

: to find guilty of a criminal offense

was convicted of fraud

compare acquit

convict

2 of 2 noun

con·​vict ˈkän-ˌvikt 

: a person convicted of and serving a sentence for a crime

Etymology

Transitive verb

Latin convictus past participle of convincere to find guilty, prove, from com- with, together + vincer to conquer