conviction

Etymology

From late Middle English conviction, from Anglo-Norman conviction, from Latin convictiō, from convictus, the past participle of convincō (“to convict”).

noun

1. (countable) A firmly held belief.
   "...I imagined...that the husband of the lady might very easily be in Russia while his wife's health might necessitate her wintering in Egypt..." "But my mother thinks not. My mother thinks there is not a husband at all,—that there never was a husband. In fact my mother has very strong convictions on the subject..." 1897, Marie Corelli, “Chapter I”, in Ziska: The Problem of a Wicked Soul, New York: Stone & Kimball, page 27
2. (countable) A judgement of guilt in a court of law.
   He said Robins had not been in trouble with the law before and had no previous convictions. Jail would have an adverse effect on her and her three children as she was the main carer. December 14, 2011, Steven Morris, “Devon woman jailed for 168 days for killing kitten in microwave”, in Guardian
3. (uncountable) The state of being found or proved guilty.
   From G. R. Ratts , Game Warden , fines collected on conviction of violation of State game law . 1902, Illinois. Auditor's Office, Report of the Auditor of Public Accounts, page 6
   I do not know of any Federal statute which carries with it forfeiture of citizenship or civil rights except this one that we are discussing, which is conviction of desertion committed in time of war and conviction of treason. 1943, United States. Congress. House. Committee on Immigration and Naturalization, Loss of Nationality and Citizenship Bacause of Conviction of Desertion from The Armed Forces, page 6
   Thus, the argument continues, federal prosecutors would be motivated to seek Major Crimes Act indictments in marginal cases because they could be relatively certain of getting some conviction. 1976, United States. Congress. House. Committee on the Judiciary. Subcommittee on Criminal Justice, Criminal Jurisdiction in Indian Country, page 44
   Where evidence in prosecution for larceny of two doors of the value of more than $50.00 sustained verdict that defendant had stolen the doors but was insufficient to establish that the doors were worth $50.00 or more, conviction of grand larceny would be reduced, on appeal to conviction of petit larceny. 1994, West's Florida statutes annotated, page 107
   The rush to convict suspects on weak evidence may well lead not only to conviction of the innocent, but also to the release of the guilty from liability for the crime, as occurred in the famous Alfred Dreyfus case, which I shall discuss later. 2009, Chester Porter, The Conviction of the Innocent
4. (uncountable) The state of being wholly convinced.
   Analogies are used in aid of Conviction: Metaphors, as means of Illustration. 1825, Samuel Taylor Coleridge, “Aphorisms on that which is indeed spiritual religion”, in Aids to Reflection, page 198
   The visitors were being pinned back by the end of the first half. Yet Gordon Strachan's side played with great conviction and always had a chance of springing a surprise when their opponents were so susceptible at the back. 14 August 2013, Daniel Taylor, The Guardian