conviction means A firmly held belief. It carries an Arena rating of 1515, earned across 4 head-to-head judged battles.
Among words judged in Lexicurio's Arena, conviction ranks #2,741 of 17,052 for Most Malleable Words, #2,820 of 17,052 for Most Ponderous Words, #4,857 of 17,052 for Most Elegant Words, #7,101 of 17,052 for Words That Escaped Their Books.
conviction is pronounced /kənˈvɪkʃən/.
Why “conviction” is a great word
A firmly held belief or opinion, or the formal declaration that someone is guilty of a criminal offense. From late Middle English, from Anglo-Norman *conviction*, from Latin *convictiōn-* (stem of *convictiō*, "proof, demonstration, proof of guilt"), from *convictus*, the past participle of *convincō* ("to prove wrong, overcome in argument, convict"). Unlike "opinion" (which suggests a provisional view) or "acquittal" (which erases a legal charge), conviction is the unyielding press of certainty—the martyr's refusal to recant, the jury foreperson's irrevocable "guilty," the terrible weight of a door locking shut. It is belief hardened into fact, and one becomes answerable to it.
Etymology
From late Middle English conviction, from Anglo-Norman conviction, from Latin convictiō, from convictus, the past participle of convincō (“to convict”). Equivalent to convict + -ion.
noun
- A firmly held belief.
- A judgement of guilt in a court of law.e.g.“He said Robins had not been in trouble with the law before and had no previous convictions. Jail would have an adverse effect on her and her three children as she was the main carer.”
- The state of being wholly convinced.e.g.“Analogies are used in aid of Conviction: Metaphors, as means of Illustration.”
- The state of being found or proved guilty.e.g.“From G. R. Ratts , Game Warden , fines collected on conviction of violation of State game law .”
Words closest in meaning
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