The decision in a court of law that someone is guilty of a crime. It also means a strong belief or opinion that you are sure about.
From Latin *convictio* 'proof, demonstration', from *convincere* 'to prove, overcome'. It kept both the legal sense of proved guilt and the idea of a belief strongly supported by reasons.
It’s striking that the same word is used for 'being found guilty' and 'deep belief.' In both cases, something has been 'proven' so strongly that it feels settled. When someone speaks 'with conviction,' they sound as sure as a judge handing down a verdict.
Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.