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

Instead they were put in a vacant section of the military prison that houses terrorism suspects and convicts, far from the area where other deportees will be held by the Department of Homeland Security. —Hamed Aleaziz, New York Times, 6 Feb. 2025

Ball was reportedly in Washington, D.C. awaiting trial for his actions in the Capitol riot — including wounding police with an explosive device — when Trump granted pardons to more than 1,500 convicts involved in sacking the building. —Brian Niemietz, New York Daily News, 22 Jan. 2025

Verb

Singh, a member of Parliament and the head of the main opposition party, the Worker’s Party, was convicted on two counts of lying to a parliamentary committee under oath and was fined 7,000 Singaporean dollars, about $5,220, for each count. —Nicholas Yong, New York Times, 17 Feb. 2025

Harvey Weinstein was convicted of rape in 2020 in New York, and again in 2023 in California. —Bethy Squires, Vulture, 17 Feb. 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