Con*vic"tion (k&obreve;n*v&ibreve;k"shŭn),
n. [L. convictio proof: cf. F.
conviction conviction (in sense 3 & 4). See
Convict, Convince.] 1. The act
of convicting; the act of proving, finding, or adjudging, guilty
of an offense.
The greater certainty of conviction and the
greater certainty of punishment.
Hallam.
2. (Law) A judgment of
condemnation entered by a court having jurisdiction; the act or
process of finding guilty, or the state of being found guilty of
any crime by a legal tribunal.
Conviction may accrue two ways.
Blackstone.
3. The act of convincing of error, or of
compelling the admission of a truth; confutation.
For all his tedious talk is but vain boast,
Or subtle shifts conviction to evade.
Milton.
4. The state of being convinced or
convicted; strong persuasion or belief; especially, the state of
being convicted of sin, or by one's conscience.
To call good evil, and evil good, against the
conviction of their own consciences.
Swift.
And did you presently fall under the power of this
conviction?
Bunyan.
Syn. -- Conviction; persuasion. --
Conviction respects soley matters of belief or faith;
persuasion respects matters of belief or practice.
Conviction respects our most important duties;
persuasion is frequently applied to matters of
indifference. Crabb. -- Conviction is the result of
the [operation of the] understanding; persuasion, of the
will. Conviction is a necessity of the mind,
persuasion an acquiescence of the inclination. C. J.
Smith. -- Persuasion often induces men to act in
opposition to their conviction of duty.
