conviction
Meaning
a formal declaration by a court that someone is guilty of a criminal offense
a firmly held belief or opinion
the quality of showing that one is firmly convinced of what one believes or says
Structure
Usage
The evidence led to his conviction for fraud.
She spoke with great conviction about the importance of education.
It is my firm conviction that honesty is always the best policy.
Etymology
The word conviction originates from the Latin verb vincere, meaning "to conquer." Its past participle stem, vict-, combined with the intensive prefix con- (thoroughly), formed the Late Latin verb convincere, meaning "to overcome decisively in argument, to prove wrong." From this verb came the noun convictio, denoting the act of proving someone guilty or the state of being proven. This legal sense of being "overcome by proof" passed into English. Over time, the meaning broadened metaphorically: just as evidence can conquer doubt in a court, a powerful belief can conquer uncertainty in one's mind, giving rise to the modern senses of a strong personal belief and the compelling force with which one holds it.
Analysis
- con: A prefix from Latin, meaning "together, with, thoroughly." In this word, it intensifies the action of the root. - vict: A root from Latin vincere, meaning "to conquer, overcome, prove superior." The spelling 'vict' is the past participial stem. - ion: A suffix from Latin -ionem, forming nouns of action or state, indicating the process or result of an action.