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

His goal is to deter crime by convincing would-be criminals they’ll be caught. —Clare Duffy, CNN Money, 19 Dec. 2025

His resurrection project with Mayfield — a relatively short quarterback with good mobility — helped convince the Panthers and owner David Tepper that Canales could perform similar miracles with Bryce Young. —Scott Fowler, Charlotte Observer, 19 Dec. 2025

And some skeptics are increasingly convinced that the entire edifice is a monument to hubris that will come tumbling down before long. —Sharon Goldman, Fortune, 18 Dec. 2025

This executive predicted Paramount will ultimately convince the WBD board to nix its deal with Netflix and sell the entire company to the Ellison family and their financial backers. —Alex Sherman, CNBC, 18 Dec. 2025

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