convince verb - Definition, pictures, pronunciation and usage notes | Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary at OxfordLearnersDictionaries.com

Definition of convince verb from the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

convince

verb
 
/kənˈvɪns/
 
/kənˈvɪns/
Verb Forms
present simple I / you / we / they convince
 
/kənˈvɪns/
 
/kənˈvɪns/
he / she / it convinces
 
/kənˈvɪnsɪz/
 
/kənˈvɪnsɪz/
past simple convinced
 
/kənˈvɪnst/
 
/kənˈvɪnst/
past participle convinced
 
/kənˈvɪnst/
 
/kənˈvɪnst/
-ing form convincing
 
/kənˈvɪnsɪŋ/
 
/kənˈvɪnsɪŋ/
jump to other results
  1. to make somebody/yourself believe that something is true
    • convince somebody/yourself Are the prime minister's assurances enough to convince the public?
    • I'd be very surprised if this argument convinces anybody.
    • to try/manage/fail to convince somebody/yourself
    • She has managed to convince even the sceptics.
    • convince somebody/yourself of something You'll need to convince them of your enthusiasm for the job.
    • convince somebody/yourself (that)… I’d convinced myself (that) I was right.
    • Will the president be able to convince voters that he deserves a second term?
    • The experience convinced him that Europe was on the brink of a revolution.
  2. convince somebody to do something to persuade somebody to do something
    • I've been trying to convince him to see a doctor.
    Which Word? persuade / convincepersuade / convince
    • The main meaning of persuade is to make someone agree to do something by giving them good reasons for doing it:
      • I tried to persuade her to see a doctor.
      The main meaning of convince is to make someone believe that something is true:
      • He convinced me he was right.
    • It is quite common, however, for each of these words to be used with both meanings, especially for convince to be used as a synonym for persuade:
      • I persuaded/​convinced her to see a doctor.
      Some speakers of British English think that this is not correct.
    Topics Discussion and agreementb1
  3. Word Originmid 16th cent. (in the sense ‘overcome, defeat in argument’): from Latin convincere, from con- ‘with’ + vincere ‘conquer’. Compare with convict.
See convince in the Oxford Advanced American DictionarySee convince in the Oxford Learner's Dictionary of Academic English
aspiration
noun
 
 
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