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
If Lemma is convicted, the maximum penalty for the two espionage charges could be death or life in prison, and the retention charge could result in a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison. Robert Legare, CBS News, 21 Sep. 2023 Pettis, now 54, was captured, convicted and sentenced to life in prison. Michael Ruiz, Fox News, 21 Sep. 2023 The banker, Russell Laffitte, was convicted on six federal charges in connection with the scheme in November 2022, prosecutors said. Nadine El-Bawab, ABC News, 21 Sep. 2023 Bloomberg Former Congressman jailed Ex-Indiana Congressman Stephen Buyer, a Republican, was sentenced to 22 months in prison on Tuesday after being convicted of insider trading. Peter Vanham, Fortune, 20 Sep. 2023 He was arrested in 2015 on charges of espionage and convicted in a trial that lasted a few hours. Patrick Smith, NBC News, 20 Sep. 2023 Their father, the former head of the Sinaloa Cartel, was convicted in 2019 and is serving a life sentence at a maximum security prison in Colorado. Jonathan Dienst, NBC News, 16 Sep. 2023 Meanwhile, Donald is facing a total of 91 criminal counts between four investigations, some of which have potential to land him in prison if convicted. Dave Quinn, Peoplemag, 15 Sep. 2023 While it has never been attempted by a candidate from a major party before, Trump is allowed to run for president while under indictment — or even if he is convicted of a crime. Rachel Weiner, Washington Post, 15 Sep. 2023
Noun
Escaped convict Danelo Cavalcante was shot at Monday night by a homeowner who found him in his garage stealing a rifle, authorities said. Marlene Lenthang, NBC News, 12 Sep. 2023 If confirmed, Prigozhin’s death would cap a meteoric rise and fall for a convict turned restaurateur turned warlord. Francesca Ebel, Washington Post, 24 Aug. 2023 There were a few employees his age, says Lipman-Stern, but the majority were former convicts. Erin Jensen, USA TODAY, 13 Aug. 2023 All season long, viewers watched convict Bode Donovan (Max Thieriot) work at Three Rock as a way to potentially shorten his five-year prison sentence. Adrianna Freedman, Good Housekeeping, 4 Aug. 2023 Medvedev eventually lost track of how many convict fighters cycled through his unit. Joshua Yaffa, The New Yorker, 31 July 2023 Pennsylvania State Police via AFP - Getty Images A green sweatshirt and a white T-shirt believed to belong to the convict were found near the edge of the home's driveway, and the search perimeter was expanded to include that area. Marlene Lenthang, NBC News, 12 Sep. 2023 Then Prigozhin began to recruit from prisons, bolstering Wagner’s ranks with tens of thousands of convicts. Nabih Bulos, Los Angeles Times, 6 Sep. 2023 Officials urged local residents to be wary and keep homes and cars locked, and police broadcast a plea for surrender from the convict's mother. USA TODAY, 6 Sep. 2023 See More

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 25 Sep. 2023.

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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