ex-convict
UK[ˌeks ˈkɒnvɪkt]US[ˌeks ˈkɑːnvɪkt]
n
a person who has been convicted of a crime and has served a prison sentence.
Morpheme Breakdown
ex
convict
ex
former
convict
prisoner
Etymology
the term is a modern english compound formed by directly combining the latin prefix 'ex-', denoting a former state or condition, with the noun 'convict', which itself originates from latin 'convictus'. 'Convictus' is the past participle of 'convincere', meaning "to conquer, to prove decisively," which evolved in legal context to signify a person proven guilty. the literal morphemic construction "former-convicted-one" logically yields the modern meaning of a person who has completed a prison sentence, maintaining a direct semantic link from the ancient sense of being proven guilty to the contemporary social and legal status.
Analysis
Structure: ex (former) + convict (prisoner)
ex- (latin origin, a prefix meaning "out of, from, former"); convict (latin origin, from 'convictus', past participle of 'convincere' meaning "to overcome, to prove guilty", functioning as the core noun).
Examples
the job application asked if he was an ex-convict.
support programs are crucial for helping ex-convicts reintegrate into society.
as an ex-convict, he faced significant prejudice when seeking housing.