convict
convict — verb
1. to formally find someone guilty of an offence in a court of law, after all the e
to formally find someone guilty of an offence in a court of law, after all the evidence has been presented and examined
The jury convicted Amani of fraud after a two-week trial.
active: convict [someone] of [crime]
Feng was convicted of armed robbery and sentenced to eight years in prison.
passive: be convicted of [crime] + sentenced to [penalty]
No one can be convicted solely on the basis of circumstantial evidence.
The court convicted Mateo of tax evasion and ordered him to pay a large penalty.
- find guilty
less formal, describes the jury's specific decision rather than the court's final legal status
- condemn
more dramatic and less technical; also carries a moral judgment outside of legal contexts
- acquit
to officially decide in court that someone is not guilty
文法句型
be convicted of [crime]
convict [someone] of [crime]
用法筆記
Common in the passive form ('be convicted of'). In everyday news reports, the passive is far more frequent than the active. Only a court has the authority to convict; police arrest and charge, but they do not convict.
常見錯誤
convict — noun
1. a person who is kept in prison as punishment for a serious crime they have been
a person who is kept in prison as punishment for a serious crime they have been found guilty of
The prison holds over two thousand convicts, many of them serving life sentences.
countable: two thousand convicts
The former convict struggled to find work after his release due to his criminal record.
former convict — someone no longer in prison
Police recaptured the escaped convict near the border late last night.
The documentary follows the daily routines of three convicts inside a maximum-security facility.
文法句型
[adjective] convict
a [adjective] convict
用法筆記
In modern English, 'prisoner' and 'inmate' are more neutral alternatives used in official and everyday contexts. 'Convict' often carries harsher overtones and appears more in historical writing, crime reporting, or informal references to long-term prisoners.
常見錯誤
convict — adjective
1. placed before a noun to show that someone or something is connected with people
placed before a noun to show that someone or something is connected with people who have been found guilty of a serious crime and sent to prison
The island was originally a convict colony where thousands of prisoners were sent from Britain.
convict colony — historical term
Museum exhibits display the tools used in convict labour during the nineteenth century.
convict labour
Conditions in the convict prison were harsh, with little food and constant hard work.
The convict ship carried two hundred men from England to Australia on a four-month voyage.
文法句型
convict [noun]
用法筆記
This adjective can ONLY be used before a noun (attributive position) — you cannot say 'This labour is convict.' It is found mostly in historical descriptions of former British penal colonies. The past participle 'convicted' (e.g., 'a convicted criminal') is far more common in modern English for describing individuals found guilty.