convince

verb

con·​vince kən-ˈvin(t)s 

convinced; convincing

transitive verb

1

: to bring (as by argument) to belief, consent, or a course of action : persuade

… convinced himself that she was all right …

—William Faulkner

something I could never convince him to read

—John Lahr

2

obsolete

a

: to overcome by argument

b

: overpower, overcome

3

obsolete : demonstrate, prove

convincer noun

Synonyms of convince

• persuade
• satisfy
• bring

Examples of convince in a Sentence

He convinced me that the story was true.

They convinced us of their innocence.

I managed to convince myself that I was doing the right thing.

We convinced them to go along with our scheme.

I was unable to convince her to stay.

Recent Examples on the Web

Chamadia, for one, is convinced. —Ayushi Shah, CNN Money, 8 Feb. 2026

George Washington was trying to be convinced to run for a third and refused. —Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 7 Feb. 2026

While the other girls glue down their brows, the group-one girls get together and Ciara tries to convince them to vote Discord in the bottom. —Jason P. Frank, Vulture, 7 Feb. 2026

The 62-year-old Payton will face a true crossroads once returning from offseason vacation, after the Broncos successfully convinced fast-rising offensive mind Davis Webb to stay on as the team’s new offensive coordinator. —Luca Evans, Denver Post, 7 Feb. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Latin convincere to refute, convict, prove, from com- + vincere to conquer — more at victor

First Known Use

1530, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Rhymes for convince

• evince
• mince
• prince
• quince
• rinse
• since
• wince

Kids Definition

convince

verb

con·​vince kən-ˈvin(t)s 

convinced; convincing

: to make a person agree or believe by arguing or showing evidence

convinced me it was true

convincer noun