to move by argument or evidence to belief, agreement, consent, or a course of action: to convince a jury of his guilt; A test drive will convince you that this car handles well.
to persuade; cajole: We finally convinced them to have dinner with us.
Obsolete. to prove or find guilty.
Obsolete. to overcome; vanquish.
Origin of convince
1520–30; <Latin convincere to prove (something) false or true, (somebody) right or wrong, equivalent to con-con- + vincere to overcome; see victor
SYNONYMS FOR convince
1 satisfy.
SEE SYNONYMS FOR convince ON THESAURUS.COM
usage note for convince
Convince, an often stated rule says, may be followed only by that or of, never by to: We convinced him that he should enter (not convinced him to enter ) the contest. He was convinced of the wisdom of entering. In examples to support the rule, convince is often contrasted with persuade, which may take to, of, or that followed by the appropriate construction: We persuaded him to seek counseling (or of his need for counseling or that he should seek counseling ). The history of usage does not support the rule. Convince (someone) to has been in use since the 16th century and, despite objections by some, occurs freely today in all varieties of speech and writing and is fully standard: Members of the cabinet are trying to convince the prime minister not to resign.
con·vinc·i·bil·i·ty,nounhalf-con·vinced,adjectivepre·con·vince,verb (used with object),pre·con·vinced,pre·con·vinc·ing.qua·si-con·vinced,adjectivere·con·vince,verb (used with object),re·con·vinced,re·con·vinc·ing.un·con·vinced,adjectiveun·con·vin·ci·ble,adjectivewell-con·vinced,adjective
The deal intends to shift TikTok’s cloud business to Oracle, which nevertheless doesn’t yet seem to have convinced the caudillo that a non-ownership deal is a good idea.
Democracy depends on Washington improving its tech|Adam Lashinsky|September 17, 2020|Fortune
We got a glimpse Wednesday of just how dependent the president is on convincing Americans a vaccine is coming to end this pandemic in months.
Trump’s messy attempt to clean up unwelcome coronavirus vaccine news|Amber Phillips|September 17, 2020|Washington Post
So I’m willing to work with any leader that comes close to that, who will sit down and listen to me and be open to being convinced that that is where we are right now with the issues.
Can Anita Hill Forgive Joe Biden … and Work With Him?|Pallabi Munsi|September 14, 2020|Ozy
For most people in the study, the only thing that changed in their lives was that some random researchers tried to convince them to do something new.
How a vacation—or a pandemic—can help you adopt better habits now|matthewheimer|September 12, 2020|Fortune
Thomas Courtney teaches fifth grade at Chollas-Mead Elementary, where his public school’s customer service convinced him to bring his daughter Onora, who is thriving academically and socially.
Our Public Schools Have a Customer Service Problem|Thomas Courtney|September 10, 2020|Voice of San Diego
Turkey is not the only country trying to convince the private sector that domestic violence is their problem, too.
The Women Battling an Islamist Strongman|Christina Asquith|December 22, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Whether or not Risner will be able to convince a federal judge that the U.S. should be held responsible, is another story.
Drug Smuggler Sues U.S. Over Dog Bite|Caitlin Dickson|December 10, 2014|DAILY BEAST
A visit to WoodRocket.com is enough to convince anyone of the truth in that.
Inside the Greatest Porn Parody Factory: From ‘Game of Bones’ to ‘The Humper Games’|Gabriella Paiella|November 28, 2014|DAILY BEAST
“As a teenager, I tried to convince myself I had imagined it,” wrote Bowman.
Bill Cosby’s Long List of Accusers (So Far): 18 Alleged Sexual Assault Victims Between 1965-2004|Marlow Stern|November 24, 2014|DAILY BEAST
First you have to convince people to accept your version of the boundary between law and politics.
A Reminder: Our Justices are Politicians in Robes|Jedediah Purdy|November 13, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Longstreth spread wide his hands as if it was useless to try to convince this man.
The Lone Star Ranger|Zane Grey
Penny dared not take time to try to convince the youth of the folly of fleeing from Immigration authorities.
Swamp Island|Mildred A. Wirt
It was my aim to convince your grandfather that all the money in the world cannot bring about the result you desire.
From the Housetops|George Barr McCutcheon
Taking counsel of their desires, people have eagerly caught at straws to convince themselves that peace was certain.
The Life of Isaac Ingalls Stevens, Volume I (of 2)|Hazard Stevens
I can assure your Excellency I will convince the American that his presence in the castle tonight is quite unnecessary.
The Ghost Breaker|Paul Dickey
British Dictionary definitions for convince
convince
/ (kənˈvɪns) /
verb(tr)
(may take a clause as object)to make (someone) agree, understand, or realize the truth or validity of something; persuade