convince

[kuh n-vins] /kənˈvɪns/
verb (used with object), convinced, convincing.
1.
to move by argument or evidence to belief, agreement, consent, or a course of action:
to convince a jury of his guilt; A test drive will convince you that this car handles well.
2.
to persuade; cajole:
We finally convinced them to have dinner with us.
3.
Obsolete. to prove or find guilty.
4.
Obsolete. to overcome; vanquish.
Origin
1520-30; < Latin convincere to prove (something) false or true, (somebody) right or wrong, equivalent to con- con- + vincere to overcome; see victor
Related forms
convincedly, adverb
convincedness, noun
convincer, noun
convincible, adjective
convincibility, noun
half-convinced, adjective
preconvince, verb (used with object), preconvinced, preconvincing.
quasi-convinced, adjective
reconvince, verb (used with object), reconvinced, reconvincing.
unconvinced, adjective
unconvincible, adjective
well-convinced, adjective
Synonyms
1. satisfy.
Usage note
Convince, an often stated rule says, may be followed only by that or of, never by to: We convinced him that he should enter (not convinced him to enter) the contest. He was convinced of the wisdom of entering. In examples to support the rule, convince is often contrasted with persuade, which may take to, of, or that followed by the appropriate construction: We persuaded him to seek counseling (or of his need for counseling or that he should seek counseling). The history of usage does not support the rule. Convince (someone) to has been in use since the 16th century and, despite objections by some, occurs freely today in all varieties of speech and writing and is fully standard: Members of the cabinet are trying to convince the prime minister not to resign.
Examples from the web for convince
  • If you're trying to convince your boss to let you telecommute, you quickly run into a data problem.
  • If there wasn't a general consensus or feeling about a cover up, these hoaxes wouldn't convince so many people.
  • They would be the ones to invest the big money into a propaganda campaign to convince less educated people that it was a hoax.
  • It was difficult to build trust and convince them to join my efforts.
  • He'd imagine he was talking to a studio audience, selling something, trying to convince them.
  • Maybe you can convince me there can be bubbles in individual securities.
  • Or it could convince whites that their needs also matter.
  • While the setting and the characters continually convince and intrigue, the novel seems somehow frozen, stylized.
  • The trouble is that such tales have to convince you on the supernatural level as well as on the mundane.
  • Ice cream sales aren't profitable, but you convince investors that they will be profitable in the future.
British Dictionary definitions for convince

convince

/kənˈvɪns/
verb (transitive)
1.
(may take a clause as object) to make (someone) agree, understand, or realize the truth or validity of something; persuade
2.
(mainly US) to persuade (someone) to do something
3.
(obsolete)
  1. to overcome
  2. to prove guilty
Derived Forms
convincement, noun
convincer, noun
convincible, adjective
Usage note
The use of convince to talk about persuading someone to do something is considered by many British speakers to be wrong or unacceptable
Word Origin
C16: from Latin convincere to demonstrate incontrovertibly, from com- (intensive) + vincere to overcome, conquer
Word Origin and History for convince
v.

1520s, "to overcome in argument," from Latin convincere "to overcome decisively," from com-, intensive prefix (see com-), + vincere "to conquer" (see victor). Meaning "to firmly persuade" is from c.1600. Related: Convinced; convincing; convincingly.

Related Abbreviations for convince

CONVINCE

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