Convincingly

How to spell convincingly

12 letters · 4 syllables

How to pronounce convincingly

Say the part in capitals loudest.

What does convincingly mean?

1. adverbIn a manner that successfully persuades others that something is true or genuine.

Convincingly in a sentence

• She argued so convincingly that the committee approved the budget within minutes.

• The new employee handled the difficult client convincingly and calmly.

Where does convincingly come from?

Language of origin: Latin

This adverb traces back to the Latin verb convincere, which combined the intensifying prefix con- (thoroughly) with vincere, meaning 'to conquer' or 'to overcome'. In Roman usage convincere literally meant to overcome someone completely, often in the sense of defeating an opponent in argument or proving them wrong in court. English adopted 'convince' in the sixteenth century with the legal flavour of demonstrating guilt, and only later did it settle into the modern meaning of persuading someone that something is true. The adjective 'convincing' and then the adverb 'convincingly' grew out of that verb by adding the familiar -ing and -ly endings. The same vincere root still powers relatives such as 'victory', 'evict', and 'invincible', and remembering that buried 'vinc' helps keep the spelling on track.

How the word is built

• con- (thoroughly)
• vinc (from Latin vincere: to conquer)
• -ing (present participle)
• -ly (adverb suffix)