Conviction
n.resilient, hopefulformal
What it means
A strong belief held sincerely enough to guide choices and action.
Reach for it when naming principled certainty while leaving evidence and consequences open to examination
Her conviction that every child could learn shaped the patient pace of the program.
Choose between these
7- playful
gut belief
informal intuitive certainty is intentionally meant
not when The phrase privileges instinct where evidence should decide.
- everyday
acceptance that an idea is true is the broad point
not when A belief may be tentative and exert little influence on conduct.
- warm
trust persists beyond complete evidence
not when Faith can be religious and may not produce a definite position.
- professional
principle
a rule or value consistently guides decisions
not when A principle is normative, while a conviction can concern any fact or cause.
- professional
firm determination to act matters most
not when Resolve is intention, not the underlying belief that motivates it.
- formal
freedom from doubt is central
not when Certainty describes strength of knowledge, not moral commitment.
- literary
credo
a compact set of guiding beliefs suits elevated prose
not when Credo sounds doctrinal and is larger than one conviction.
Said against
3- doubt
- indifference
- wavering
It naturally appears in
3- deep conviction
A deep conviction does not remove the duty to examine evidence.
- speak with conviction
She could speak with conviction while admitting what remained uncertain.
- moral conviction
Moral conviction led him to refuse the hidden fee.
Where this comes from
- merriam-webster, noun sense 1 opens in a new tab · retrieved 2026-07-26
The definition and the example on this page are written here. The dictionaries above ground which meaning is being described, not the wording.