convict

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English

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Etymology

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From Middle English convicten, from Anglo-Norman convicter, from Latin convictus, the past participle of convincō (to convict). Doublet of convince. Displaced native Old English forwyrċan (to convict, condemn).

Pronunciation

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Verb

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convict (third-person singular simple present convicts, present participle convicting, simple past and past participle convicted)

  1. (transitive, law) To find guilty, as a result of legal proceedings, or (informal) in a moral sense.
    Synonyms: sentence, (informal) disapprove
    He was a convicted felon.
    His remarks convicted him of a lack of sensitivity.
    • 1936, Robert Frost, “The Vindictives”, in A Further Range:
      And his subjects wrung all they could wring / Out of temple and palace and store. / But when there seemed no more to bring, / His captors convicted the king / Of once having started a war, / And strangled the wretch with a string.
  2. (chiefly religion) To convince, persuade; to cause (someone) to believe in (something).
    Synonym: convince

Derived terms

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Translations

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Noun

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convict (plural convicts)

  1. (law) A person convicted of a crime by a judicial body.
    Synonyms: assigned servant, con, government man, (historical) public servant
  2. A person deported to a penal colony.
    Synonym: penal colonist
  3. The convict cichlid (Amatitlania nigrofasciata), also known as the zebra cichlid, a popular aquarium fish, with stripes that resemble a prison uniform.
  4. A common name for the sheepshead (Archosargus probatocephalus), owing to its black and gray stripes.

Derived terms

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Further reading

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