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

Following a series of rejections by Power 4 coaches, Penn State was able to convince Matt Campbell to leave Iowa State for State College. —Jordan Sigler, MSNBC Newsweek, 5 Dec. 2025

And though the question of who killed him remains the focus of an investigation by Suffolk County Police, his family — most of whom are convinced that Richard Darress, since deceased, was the killer — is at peace. —Liam Quinn, PEOPLE, 5 Dec. 2025

Frank gets more impatient as the movie goes on, convinced that military school might straighten Greg out. —Alex Shoemaker, Parents, 5 Dec. 2025

Analysts at Deutsche Bank and William Blair were at least minimally convinced Friday of the potential for the deal to go through. —Lillian Rizzo, CNBC, 5 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