con·vict (kən-vĭkt')

v., -vict·ed, -vict·ing, -victs.

v.tr.

1. Law. To find or prove (someone) guilty of an offense or crime, especially by the verdict of a court: The jury convicted the defendant of manslaughter.
2. To show or declare to be blameworthy; condemn: His remarks convicted him of a lack of sensitivity.
3. To make aware of one's sinfulness or guilt.

v.intr.
To return a verdict of guilty in a court: "We need jurors . . . who will not convict merely because they are suspicious" (Scott Turow).

n. Law (kŏn'vĭkt')

1. A person found or declared guilty of an offense or crime.
2. A person serving a sentence of imprisonment.

adj. Archaic
Found guilty; convicted.

[Middle English convicten, from Latin convincere, convict-. See convince.]

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The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.

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