CONVICTION

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 Dictionary entry overview: What does conviction mean? 

• CONVICTION (noun)
  The noun CONVICTION has 2 senses:

1. an unshakable belief in something without need for proof or evidence

2. (criminal law) a final judgment of guilty in a criminal case and the punishment that is imposed

  Familiarity information: CONVICTION used as a noun is rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• CONVICTION (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

An unshakable belief in something without need for proof or evidence

Classified under:

Nouns denoting cognitive processes and contents

Synonyms:

article of faith; conviction; strong belief

Hypernyms ("conviction" is a kind of...):

belief (any cognitive content held as true)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "conviction"):

amateurism (the conviction that people should participate in sports as a hobby (for the fun of it) rather than for money)

Sense 2

Meaning:

(criminal law) a final judgment of guilty in a criminal case and the punishment that is imposed

Classified under:

Nouns denoting acts or actions

Synonyms:

condemnation; conviction; judgment of conviction; sentence

Context example:

the conviction came as no surprise

Hypernyms ("conviction" is a kind of...):

final decision; final judgment (a judgment disposing of the case before the court; after the judgment (or an appeal from it) is rendered all that remains is to enforce the judgment)

Domain category:

criminal law (the body of law dealing with crimes and their punishment)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "conviction"):

murder conviction (conviction for murder)

rape conviction (conviction for rape)

robbery conviction (conviction for robbery)

Antonym:

acquittal (a judgment of not guilty)

Derivation:

convict (find or declare guilty)

 Context examples 

It was a private resolution of hers, not communicated to him—or at least not communicated in a way to carry conviction.

(Emma, by Jane Austen)

This indulgence, though not more than Catherine had hoped for, completed her conviction of being favoured beyond every other human creature, in friends and fortune, circumstance and chance.

(Northanger Abbey, by Jane Austen)

There was no need to put our fear, nay our conviction, into words—we shared them in common.

(Dracula, by Bram Stoker)

“Something is burning,” Maud said, with sudden conviction.

(The Sea-Wolf, by Jack London)

The horror of a mind like Fanny's, as it received the conviction of such guilt, and began to take in some part of the misery that must ensue, can hardly be described.

(Mansfield Park, by Jane Austen)

"It is the voice of sanity!" said Summerlee with conviction.

(The Lost World, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

To yield without conviction is no compliment to the understanding of either.

(Pride and Prejudice, by Jane Austen)

Because of the two prior convictions against him, Judge Scott imposed upon him a sentence of fifty years.

(White Fang, by Jack London)

I was convinced that the scoundrel spoke of himself, and I saw my conviction reflected in Miss Dartle's face.

(David Copperfield, by Charles Dickens)

Evidence of a previous conviction for robbery having been given against the prisoner, the magistrate refused to deal summarily with the offence, but referred it to the Assizes.

(The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)