The word conviction can be used to refer to various specific situations and circumstances. Generally speaking, conviction is a strong and firm belief in something or someone. The conviction thus has to do with the notion of belief, certainty and acceptance towards something, someone or some phenomenon that may or may not be within our reach. The idea of conviction also implies a certain challenge since it is something that comes from within an individual, in many cases understood as a feeling that cannot be explained but that has to do with being sure or being certain about this or that thing.
In general, the conviction that an individual may have towards something or someone is established from a complex conjunction of elements such as their experiences, history, relationships, etc. At the same time, it is correct to say that regardless of the object in which it is believed, all human beings have the need to have strong convictions since they often give security and collaborate with the establishment of their own identity. Being convinced of something is what gives us personality traits that may or may not be shared by other individuals and that are considered opinions, ways of understanding the world, feelings, sensations, etc. Many times the deep convictions of one person can be exaggerated to another who does not share them, but they can be present in different ways and in relation to very different topics.
The word conviction is also used in the legal field. A conviction is the result of a trial the result of which is to find the accused guilty and thus make him a convict or subject to be placed in prison. The conviction would be, in other words, the burden of years or time that the accused must serve for having committed a certain crime.