Legal Definitions - convict

Definition: Convict is both a verb and a noun. As a verb, to convict means to prove or officially announce a finding that a criminal defendant is guilty of a criminal offense after a trial, guilty plea, or plea of nolo contendere. As a noun, a convict is an individual who has been found guilty of a criminal offense, following a trial, guilty plea, or plea of nolo contendere.

Verb: The jury convicted the defendant of murder after a three-week trial.

Noun: The prison housed many convicts who had committed various crimes.

These examples illustrate the definition of convict by showing how the term can be used both as a verb and a noun in the context of criminal justice. In the first example, the verb "convict" is used to describe the action of a jury finding a defendant guilty of a crime. In the second example, the noun "convict" is used to refer to individuals who have been found guilty of crimes and are serving time in prison.