convictions
convictions — noun
- convictionssingular
- convictionsesplural
1. a court's official finding that someone has broken the law, which then becomes p
a court's official finding that someone has broken the law, which then becomes part of their legal record.
The court upheld her conviction, so Isabela must now serve a four-year sentence.
upheld a conviction — court confirms a guilty verdict
People with previous criminal convictions often find it hard to get a job.
previous criminal convictions — collocation for criminal record
Chidi's lawyers plan to appeal against his conviction for robbery last year.
A conviction for driving under the influence can lead to a heavy fine.
The judge set aside the conviction after discovering new evidence from the original trial.
- acquittal
the opposite legal outcome — a finding of not guilty
文法句型
conviction + for + crime
previous + convictions
appeal + against + conviction
用法筆記
Often used in legal contexts. The plural form 'convictions' refers to multiple past findings of guilt on a person's criminal record.
常見錯誤
2. a firmly held opinion or set of principles that a person believes are true and i
a firmly held opinion or set of principles that a person believes are true and important, often based on moral, religious, or political values.
Nadia holds strong religious convictions that guide her daily decisions.
hold + strong + convictions — common verb + adjective pattern
The senator spoke about her political convictions during the election campaign.
political convictions — domain-specific collocation
Rohan's moral convictions would not allow him to lie, even to save his job.
It takes courage to defend your convictions when everyone around you disagrees.
Every Saturday, Devika volunteers at the local shelter because of her religious convictions.
- belief
a belief can be less intense than a conviction; a conviction implies deeper commitment
- principle
a principle is a general rule about right and wrong; a conviction is a specific belief held firmly
- opinion
an opinion may change more easily than a conviction, which is deeply held and unlikely to shift
文法句型
convictions + about + topic
hold + convictions
political/religious/moral + convictions
用法筆記
Typically used in the plural ('convictions') when referring to a person's set of moral or political principles. The singular ('conviction') works for one specific strongly held belief, though 'belief' is more common in the singular.
常見錯誤
3. the inner sureness that something is true, even when no proof is available — for
the inner sureness that something is true, even when no proof is available — for instance, the conviction that you chose the right career path.
Eleni spoke with such conviction that every person in the room believed her story.
speak with conviction — manner of speaking shows certainty
Yumi had a deep inner conviction that she would pass the final exam.
inner conviction that + clause — pattern for unproven certainty
The team played with renewed conviction after their captain's inspiring speech.
With quiet conviction, Beatrix stated her opinion on the matter to the committee.
Ignacio's deep conviction that hard work pays off helped him keep going through difficult times.
- doubt
the opposite of conviction — a feeling of uncertainty about whether something is true
文法句型
with + conviction
conviction + that + clause
deep/inner + conviction
用法筆記
Usually uncountable — 'speak with conviction', 'a deep conviction that…'. Distinguish from sense 2: sense 3 focuses on the feeling of certainty itself, while sense 2 refers to the specific belief or principle held.