convict

1 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

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

adjective

con·​vict kən-ˈvikt How to pronounce convict (audio)
archaic
: having been convicted

Examples of convict in a Sentence

Noun a warning that the three escaped convicts were armed and dangerous 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?
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
In the 1974 crime drama, Hawn plays a Texas woman who, along with her escaped convict husband (William Atherton), takes a police officer hostage in an effort to prevent their young son from being placed in foster care. John Russell, People.com, 7 Mar. 2025 Three of the doc shorts tell dauntingly serious stories about a convict on death row, a survivor of a school shooting, and a murder in Chicago told through police body-cam footage. David Bloom, Forbes, 20 Feb. 2025
Verb
Natalie Cochran was recently convicted of first-degree murder for killing her husband in 2019 and sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. Steve Weisman, Forbes, 1 Mar. 2025 He was convicted in Mexico in 1985 of the torture and murder of Camarena, one of the most notorious killings in the history of the Mexican narco wars. Aaron Katersky, ABC News, 28 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for convict

Word History

Etymology

Verb, Noun, and Adjective

Middle English, from Anglo-French convicter, from Latin convictus, past participle of convincere to refute, convict

First Known Use

Noun

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Adjective

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of convict was in the 14th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Convict.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/convict. Accessed 15 Mar. 2025.

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

More from Merriam-Webster on convict

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!