conviction

Definitions

1. 1.(Law) A judgment of condemnation entered by a court having jurisdiction; the act or process of finding guilty, or the state of being found guilty of any crime by a legal tribunal. Conviction may accrue two ways. Blackstone.
2. 2.The act of convincing of error, or of compelling the admission of a truth; confutation. For all his tedious talk is but vain boast, Or subtle shifts conviction to evade. Milton.
3. 3.The state of being convinced or convicted; strong persuasion or belief; especially, the state of being convicted of sin, or by one's conscience. To call good evil, and evil good, against the conviction of their own consciences. Swift. And did you presently fall under the power of this conviction Bunyan. -- Conviction respects soley matters of belief or faith; persuasion respects matters of belief or practice. Conviction respects our most important duties; persuasion is frequently applied to matters of indifference. Crabb. -- Conviction is the result of the [operation of the] understanding; persuasion, of the will. Conviction is a necessity of the mind, persuasion an acquiescence of the inclination. C. J. Smith. -- Persuasion often induces men to act in opposition to their conviction of duty.

Source: Webster's Unabridged Dictionary, 1913 edition (public domain, via GCIDE / Project Gutenberg).

Synonyms

Related questions

• What does "conviction" mean?
• What is another word for "conviction"?

Reverse-dictionary questions

Definition-first questions whose answer is conviction.

• What is the act of convincing of error, or of compelling the admission of a truth; confutation. For all his tedious talk is but vain boast, Or subtle shifts conviction to evade. Milton called?