entry
convince
/kənˈvɪns/Persuade someone through evidence or argument
From Latin con- (together) + Latin vinc- (conquer).
from Latin convincō (“to refute, prove”)
from Latin convincere "to overcome decisively,"
from Latin convincere "to overcome decisively,"
from Latin convincere "to overcome decisively,"
Word Ancestry
from Latin convincō (“to refute, prove”)
from Latin convincere "to overcome decisively,"
from Latin convincere "to overcome decisively,"
from Latin convincere "to overcome decisively,"
Picture a Roman courtroom: one speaker has not merely offered an opinion but has beaten the opposing case into submission. That is the force behind Latin convincere, from com-—an intensifier here—and vincere, “to conquer.” English borrowed the verb in the 1520s, initially meaning “to overcome in argument,” while the modern sense of satisfying someone with proof emerged around 1600. Its close doublet convict once meant “to convince of wrongdoing” before narrowing toward a guilty verdict. So when evidence convinces you, Latin imagines it as a tiny courtroom victory: the argument conquers resistance, and your mind raises the white flag.
The Story
Picture a Roman courtroom: one speaker has not merely offered an opinion but has beaten the opposing case into submission. That is the force behind Latin convincere, from com-—an intensifier here—and vincere, “to conquer.” English borrowed the verb in the 1520s, initially meaning “to overcome in argument,” while the modern sense of satisfying someone with proof emerged around 1600. Its close doublet convict once meant “to convince of wrongdoing” before narrowing toward a guilty verdict. So when evidence convinces you, Latin imagines it as a tiny courtroom victory: the argument conquers resistance, and your mind raises the white flag.
Modern Usage
To persuade or make someone do something
Kin & Kindred
From 'con-'·together, with; intensively
Derived Terms
English words from this root
From 'vinc-'·conquer, overcome, prevail
Derived Terms
English words from this root