/ kənˈvɪkʃn; NAmE / noun
1.
[ C , U ] ~ (for sth) the act of finding sb guilty of a crime in court; the fact of having been found guilty :
She has six previous convictions for theft.
He plans to appeal against his conviction.
an offence which carries, on conviction, a sentence of not more than five years' imprisonment
OPP acquittal
2.
[ C , U ] ~ (that ... ) a strong opinion or belief :
strong political / moral convictions
She was motivated by deep religious conviction.
a conviction that all would be well in the end
3.
[ U ] the feeling or appearance of believing sth strongly and of being sure about it :
'Not true!' she said with conviction.
He said he agreed but his voice lacked conviction.
The leader's speech in defence of the policy didn't carry much conviction .
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IDIOMS
see courage
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WORD ORIGIN
late Middle English : from Latin convictio(n-) , from the verb convincere , from con- with + vincere conquer.