What does convince mean?
To convince is to bring someone to a firm belief — typically through reasoning, evidence, or sustained argument rather than mere emotional appeal. When you convince someone, they end up genuinely accepting that something is true: a lawyer convinces a jury, a scientist convinces colleagues, a friend convinces another that a plan will work. The word takes a person as its object, usually followed by a 'that'-clause ('I convinced her that the deadline was unrealistic') or by the construction 'of' plus a noun ('he convinced me of his sincerity'). Convince carries no strong positive or negative connotation; its tone depends entirely on what is being argued. Writers have long distinguished it from persuade — convince produces belief, persuade produces action — though in modern usage the two frequently overlap. Rooted in Latin vincere, 'to conquer,' the word carries a quiet metaphor of victory: to convince is, etymologically, to overcome doubt.
verbTo persuade someone that something is true or right, so that they firmly believe it; to bring a person to a state of certainty by argument or evidence.
- To make someone firmly believe that something is true or valid, typically through argument, evidence, or reasoning.
- To prevail on someone to do something (a usage long criticized in formal writing but common in practice).
"Her detailed presentation finally convinced the board to approve the project."
"The detective's evidence convinced the jury that the testimony was false."
"After much discussion, she convinced her parents to let her study abroad."
For centuries, careful writers insisted you can only 'convince' someone of a fact — and reserve 'persuade' for talking them into actually doing it.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of convince
Convince comes from the Latin convincere, formed from com- ('together') and vincere ('to conquer, overcome'), meaning literally 'to overcome or refute.' It entered English in the late 16th century, initially carrying senses of refutation and demonstration of guilt before settling into its modern sense of bringing someone to belief. It shares the root vincere with convict, conviction, evict, and victory itself.
Related word forms
How convince is actually used
Convince is neutral in register and works in both formal and informal contexts. It is usually followed by a person plus either a 'that'-clause or the pattern 'convince someone of something'. Traditionally, style guides distinguish convincing (producing belief) from persuading (producing action), though everyday usage often blurs this distinction.
Easily confused with convince
Convince means making someone believe something is true through argument, while persuade means inducing someone to take an action or adopt a course of action.