Definition

1. Noun:

   • A person who has been found guilty of a crime by a court of law: A "convict" is an individual who has been formally declared guilty of a criminal offense following a legal trial.
   • A person serving a prison sentence: This term specifically refers to someone who is currently imprisoned as a result of that conviction.

2. Verb:

   • To find or declare (someone) guilty of a criminal offense in a court of law: The act of a judge or jury officially determining that a person is guilty of the crime with which they have been charged.

Usage Examples

• Noun:

  • The escaped convict was captured by police after three days.
  • The program aims to help former convicts reintegrate into society after their release.

• Verb (typically used as "convict someone of something"):

  • The jury took only two hours to convict the defendant of murder.
  • He was convicted on three counts of fraud and sentenced to ten years in prison.

Advanced Usage

• Legal Formality: The verb "convict" is a formal legal term. The standard construction is "to convict [a person] of [a crime]." It implies a final, official judgment.

  • The evidence was overwhelming, leading the court to convict her of embezzlement.

• Figurative Use (Less Common): Occasionally used to mean to convince someone of their error or fault, though this is now rare.

  • His conscience convicted him of his selfish actions.

Variants and Related Words

• Conviction (n): 1. The act of finding a person guilty of a crime. 2. A firmly held belief or opinion.

  • His conviction for armed robbery carried a heavy sentence.
  • She spoke with great conviction about human rights.

• Convictism (n, historical): A term related to the historical practice of transporting convicts, especially to penal colonies like Australia.

Synonyms

• Noun (Person): Felon, offender, criminal, inmate, prisoner.
• Verb (Action): Find guilty, pronounce guilty, condemn.

Antonyms

• Verb: Acquit, exonerate, absolve, clear.

Related Phrases

• "Ex-convict" or "Former convict": A person who has been released after serving a prison sentence.

  • As an ex-convict, he faced significant challenges finding employment.

• "To be convicted of": The passive voice construction is very common when describing the legal status of a person.

  • She was convicted of perjury, which damaged her credibility.

Noun

1. a person who has been convicted of a criminal offense
2. a person serving a sentence in a jail or prison

Verb

1. find or declare guilty
   • The man was convicted of fraud and sentenced