convince
v.v. to make someone believe that something is true or to make them agree to do something. You do this by giving them good reasons or proof.
v. to persuade someone of the truth of a statement or to induce a specific course of action through argument or evidence. Transitive; typically followed by a direct object and a 'that' clause or an infinitive phrase.
I tried to convince my parents to let me go.
The lawyer presented enough evidence to convince the jury of the defendant's innocence.
Despite the overwhelming data supporting the new policy, the director struggled to convince the board that the initial investment would yield long-term savings.
Borrowed from Latin convincō (“I refute, prove”), from con- + vincō (“I conquer, vanquish”). Doublet of convict. Displaced native Old English oferreċċan.
The verb is transitive and requires a direct object. It often takes the preposition 'of' before a noun or is followed by a 'that' clause.
I convinced him to the truthI convinced him of the truthWhen the object of conviction is a noun, use the preposition 'of' rather than 'to'.