Con*vince" (?), v. t. [imp.
& p. p. Convinced (?); p. pr. & vb.
n. Convincing.] [L. convincere, -
victum, to refute, prove; con- + vincere to
conquer. See Victor, and cf. Convict.]
1. To overpower; to overcome; to subdue or
master. [Obs.]
His two chamberlains
Will I with wine and wassail so convince
That memory, the warder of the brain,
Shall be a fume.
Shak.
2. To overcome by argument; to force to
yield assent to truth; to satisfy by proof.
Such convincing proofs and assurances of it as
might enable them to convince others.
Atterbury.
3. To confute; to prove the fallacy
of. [Obs.]
God never wrought miracle to convince
atheism, because his ordinary works convince it.
Bacon.
4. To prove guilty; to convict.
[Obs.]
Which of you convinceth me of sin?
John viii. 46.
Seek not to convince me of a crime
Which I can ne'er repent, nor you can pardon.
Dryden.
Syn. -- To persuade; satisfy; convict. -- To
Convince, persuade. To convince is an act of
the understanding; to persuade, of the will or feelings.
The one is effected by argument, the other by motives. There are
cases, however, in which persuade may seem to be used in
reference only to the assent of the understanding; as when we
say, I am persuaded it is so; I can not persuade
myself of the fact. But in such instances there is usually or
always a degree of awakened feeling which has had its share in
producing the assent of the understanding.
