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

As was the case with Cano and Pressly, sometimes hearing the same message from a new voice can convince pitchers to make necessary changes. — Dan Hayes, New York Times, 13 Aug. 2026

Warner’s deal with Suno appears to also require at least some degree of artist opt-in, and in general, convincing artists and managers may prove to be a challenge. — Brian Hiatt, Rolling Stone, 12 Aug. 2026

But a detective with the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department quietly began to build a case around it, and in 2023 excerpts from it convinced a grand jury to indict Davis on one count of murder, which Davis denies. — The Week Uk, TheWeek, 12 Aug. 2026

The possibility of a plea deal in the federal case could reignite defense efforts to convince a judge to dismiss the state murder charges, arguing double jeopardy. — Peter Charalambous, ABC News, 12 Aug. 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