convincement
(kənˈvɪnsmənt)
[f. convince v. + -ment.]
† 1. The action of convicting or proving guilty or in the wrong. Obs.
| 1612 T. Taylor Comm. Titus ii. 6 Of which the Lord will make great vse to their shame and conuincement. 1649 Milton Eikon. iv. (1851) 365 The convincement of his own violent courses. 1654 Ld. Orrery Parthenissa (1676) 257 Is an accusation then a sufficient convincement? |
† 2. The action of proving; demonstration. Obs.
| 1654 Ld. Orrery Parthenissa (1676) 684 Having received from him a full convincement of the certainty thereof. 1667 Decay Chr. Piety vi. ¶24 If that be not convincement enough, let him weigh the other also. 1689 Tryal Bps. Pref. 2 A clear convincement, that it was not Ambition..which rowsed your Courage. |
3. The action or fact of convincing, mental conviction.
| 1633 D. Rogers Treat. Sacram. ii. 66 A speciall convincement of the understanding. 1644 Milton Areop. (Arb.) 69 Others..assenting to the force of reason and convincement. 1878 Spurgeon Treas. Dav. Ps. cxv. 3 The convincement of those who..shut their eyes to the..evidences of his divine power. 1888 Athenæum 1 Dec. 731 [It] aided in giving Trollope his power of convincement. |
b. The mental condition of being convinced.
| 1823 Lamb Elia 313 But with the deepest convincement of this gentleman's own veracity, we think, etc. |
4. Conscientious or religious conviction; conviction of sin; esp. used by Quakers in the sense of religious conversion.
| 1617 Hieron Wks. II. 116 If, by the mercy of God, our conscience shall meete vs againe and againe at euery turne; and..hedge vs in with vnauoidable conuincements. 1656 G. Fox Jrnl. I. 269 A great convincement there was through all that country, many meetings..we had, and the Lord's power was over all. a 1718 Penn Life Wks. 1726 I. 149 In the early Days of my Convincement. 1797 (title) Account of the Convincement and Call to the Ministry of M. Lucas. 1885 Manch. Even. News 29 May 2/3 The number of Members of the Society of Friends was 15,381..in the Western quarterly meeting..57 had been admitted by convincement. |