Also 5 -viccion. [ad. L. convictiōn-em, n. of action from convincĕre: see CONVINCE. Cf. mod.F. conviction (not in Cotgr.).] The action of convicting or convincing.
1. The proving or finding a person guilty of an offence with which he is charged before a legal tribunal; legal proof or declaration of guilt; the fact or condition of being convicted: sometimes including the passing of sentence. Summary conviction: conviction by a judge or a bench of magistrates without a jury.
1491. Act 7 Hen. VII., c. 21. As though none atteyndour nor conviccion had ben hadde ageynst the seid William.
1628. Disc. Jesuits’ Coll. (Camd. Soc.), 22. They … ministred matter sufficient for their legal conviction.
1670. G. H., Hist. Cardinals, I. III. 69. For the conviction of a Bishop, there was seventy-two witnesses requir’d.
1767. Blackstone, Comm., II. 421. This forfeiture commences from the time of conviction.
1835. Ure, Philos. Manuf., 360. The perjury of the witnesses placed an effectual barrier against conviction.
b. with a and pl.
1787. T. Docherty (title), Crown Circuit Assistant; being a collection of precedents of Indictments, Informations, Convictions by Justices.
1827. Bentham, Ration. Evid., Wks. 1843, VII. 314. Convictions pronounced by justices of the peace acting out of sessions.
1861. W. Bell, Dict. Law Scot., 229/1. Convictions generally proceed on the verdict of a jury; but our law also admits of summary convictions, without the intervention of a jury, in certain circumstances.
† 2. Demonstration, proof. Obs.
1646. Sir T. Browne, Pseud. Ep., III. xvi. 144. We … rest sufficiently confirmed in the experiments of worthy enquirers: Wherein to omit the ancient conviction of Apollonius, we shall set downe some few of moderne Writers.
1647. Jer. Taylor, Dissuas. Popery, I. § 5. The words of Saint Austin may suffice, as being an evident conviction, what was the doctrine of the primitive church in this question.
† 3. The proving a person to be in error; confutation. Obs.
1594. Hooker, Eccl. Pol., III. § 8 (T.). To convict hereticks … to use the principal instrument of their conviction, the light of reason.
1661. Bramhall, Just Vind., v. 99. Although their silence … be a sufficient conviction of them, and a sufficient vindication of us.
† 4. The proving (of error, etc.) to be such; detection and exposure. Obs.
a. 1641. Bp. Mountagu, Acts & Mon. (1642), 417. Nothing was contained in those books which did make to the conviction of their heresies.
1647. Jer. Taylor, Dissuas. Popery, II. title-p., Further reproof and conviction of the Roman errors.
1653. Manton, Exp. James iii. 17. It is a sleepy zeal that letteth errors go away quietly without conviction.
1724. A. Collins, Gr. Chr. Relig., 279. [It] makes his conviction of mistakes in some cases difficult.
5. The bringing any one to recognize the truth of what he has not before accepted; convincing.
1664. H. More, Myst. Iniq., Apol. 557. This Conviction to what is false, or Inconviction to what is true, arises not from any fault of his, but is invincible Ignorance.
1692. Locke, Toleration, Wks. 1727, II. ii. 264. [They] seek only the Compliance, but concern themselves not for the Conviction of those they punish.
1794. Sullivan, View Nat., I. 299. To require something more for the conviction of the experimentalist.
1828. Whately, Rhet., I. Introd. The Conviction of those who are either of a contrary opinion to the one maintained, or who are in doubt whether to admit or deny it.
6. The mental state or condition of being convinced; strong belief on the ground of satisfactory reasons or evidence; settled persuasion.
1699. Pepys, Diary, VI. 197. I little expected to have been ever brought so near to a conviction of the reality of it.
1719. J. Richardson, Sc. Connoisseur, 40. I am serious, and speak from Conviction, and Experience.
1752. Johnson, Rambler, No. 207, ¶ 6. A painful conviction of his defects.
1828. Carlyle, Life Werner, Misc. I. 109. His belief is likely to have been persuasion rather than conviction.
1859. Geo. Eliot, A. Bede, 20. The quiet depth of conviction with which she spoke.
b. Phrase. To carry conviction (CARRY 28 d).
1817. Keatinge, Trav., II. 168. In order to carry conviction home on the subject, our Palinurus now ran us ashore for the second time.
1846. Greener, Sc. Gunnery, 27. Reasons … such as carry with them a conviction of their truth.
1864. D. Mitchell, Sev. Stor., 60. An earnestness and directness … that carried conviction to the neighbors.
7. An opinion or belief held as well proved or established; a firm or settled persuasion.
1841. W. Spalding, Italy & It. Isl., III. 209. Consistent with the conviction that Manzoni is a man of high and original genius.
1883. Froude, Short Stud., IV. II. i. 168. In the masses of the people the convictions which they had inherited were still present.
8. Theol. The fact or condition of being convicted or convinced of sin. Under conviction(s: in the state of awakened consciousness of sin. Cf. CONVINCEMENT 4.
1675. Brooks, Gold. Key, Wks. 1867, V. 294. Oh, how many men and women have fallen under such deep convictions, that they have day and night cried out of their sins, and of their lost and undone estates.
1678. Bunyan, Pilgr., I. 114. A work of grace in the soul discovereth itself. It gives him conviction of sin.
1821. Hist. Geo. Desmond, 279. My soul was at that very time groaning under deep convictions.
† 9. Overthrow, defeat. Obs. rare.
1631. Chapman, Cæsar & Pompey, V. i. Would Cæsar knew, Sir, how you conquerd him In your conuiction.
10. Comb.
1786. Francis the Philanthropist, I. 139. Certain myrmidons … in the expectation of conviction-money, are so extremely unwilling that a highwayman or house-breaker should escape punishment, [etc.].
1869. W. P. Mackay, Grace & Truth (1875), 13. Your name may have been written in the sheets of the Newgate conviction-book for murderers.
