convict

1 of 3

adjective

con·​vict kən-ˈvikt How to pronounce convict (audio)
archaic
: having been convicted

convict

2 of 3

verb

con·​vict kən-ˈvikt How to pronounce convict (audio)
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

noun

con·​vict ˈkän-ˌvikt How to pronounce convict (audio)
1
: a person convicted of and under sentence for a crime
2
: a person serving a usually long prison sentence

Examples of convict in a Sentence

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? Noun a warning that the three escaped convicts were armed and dangerous
Recent Examples on the Web
Verb
Scott Peterson pleaded not guilty at trial and has maintained his innocence since he was convicted of first-degree murder in the death of his wife and second-degree murder for his near-term son. Dan Rosenzweig-Ziff, Washington Post, 12 Mar. 2024 Rogers had been convicted of murdering seven women, mostly by tying them up in the woods and butchering them, and admitted to murdering an eighth. Matt Thompson, SPIN, 12 Mar. 2024 According to state prison records, Valdez was released on parole in 2023 from Sing Sing Correctional Facility, after being convicted of assault, burglary, harassment and acting in a manner injurious to a child. USA TODAY, 11 Mar. 2024 Jennifer Crumbley, was convicted of four counts of involuntary manslaughter last month and faces up to 15 years in prison when she's sentenced April 9. Gina Kaufman, Detroit Free Press, 11 Mar. 2024 Many in Lincoln’s Administration in fact suspected that Jefferson Davis had conceived of and ordered the assassination, and believed that the only way to truly end the war would be to capture and convict him. Jill Lepore, The New Yorker, 11 Mar. 2024 The man was worried he could be influenced to convict Crumbley knowing how peers at work might treat him if the shooter’s father was acquitted. Lauren Del Valle, CNN, 10 Mar. 2024 If he had been convicted of that charge, he could have been sentenced to up to 15 years in prison. CBS News, 9 Mar. 2024 The new series, running across eight one-hour episodes, returns to Malaya, now a former governor convicted of past crimes who has vowed to turn his back on the underworld. Patrick Brzeski, The Hollywood Reporter, 8 Mar. 2024
Noun
Recruiting convicts may have already passed the point of diminishing returns. Dara Massicot, Foreign Affairs, 8 Mar. 2024 Two of the former convicts said some of the solitary confinement cells had radiators painted on the walls instead of heating. Anatoly Kurmanaev, New York Times, 29 Feb. 2024 The Board of Pardons and Paroles, which has historically not been receptive to petitions from convicts, does not inspire much hope in Cantu. Albinson Linares, NBC News, 22 Feb. 2024 Whelan, whose family insists he is being held on false charges, suffered an eye injury in a quarrel with another convict, the Mordovian Federal Penitentiary Service told Russian news agency Interfax. Chris Pandolfo, Fox News, 29 Nov. 2023 Guards End Conference With Attorneys in Jail—Refuses to Testify Without Their Advice D.C. Stephenson, life convict and former grand dragon of the Indiana Ku Klux Klan, was brought to Kokomo to testify in grand jury investigation of corrupt bankers operating in Indiana. Katie Wiseman, The Indianapolis Star, 27 Feb. 2024 New York's Son of Sam law -- named after the 1970s New York City serial killer David Berkowitz, who was known as Son of Sam -- seeks to keep convicts from making money off of book and movie deals connected to their crimes. Aaron Katersky, ABC News, 20 Dec. 2023 Thieriot plays Bode Donovan, a convict who volunteers with the California Conservation Camp Program to assist Cal Fire. Monica Mercuri, Forbes, 15 Feb. 2024 Tatarsky, whose real name was Maxim Fomin, was a former convict and had been a pro-Russian militia fighter in the Donbas. Joshua Yaffa, The New Yorker, 6 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'convict.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Verb, Adjective, and Noun

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

First Known Use

Adjective

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Verb

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

Noun

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of convict was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near convict

Cite this Entry

“Convict.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/convict. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

convict

1 of 2 verb
con·​vict kən-ˈvikt How to pronounce convict (audio)
: to find or prove guilty

convict

2 of 2 noun
con·​vict ˈkän-ˌvikt How to pronounce convict (audio)
: a person serving a prison sentence

Legal Definition

convict

1 of 2 transitive verb
con·​vict kən-ˈvikt How to pronounce convict (audio)
: to find guilty of a criminal offense
was convicted of fraud
compare acquit

convict

2 of 2 noun
con·​vict ˈkän-ˌvikt How to pronounce convict (audio)
: 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

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