Crossword Dictionary

What's The Definition Of Convince?

\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. Usage: 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.