convicted

This term carries a heavy legal weight and a permanent social stigma. It describes a formal transition from being a suspect or a defendant to being a criminal in the eyes of the state. The feeling is one of finality and official condemnation, where the legal process has concluded and a verdict of guilt is locked in. In common usage, it is often paired with specific crime categories to define a person's legal status, such as a convicted murderer or a convicted thief. While someone might be guilty of a crime without being convicted, the act of conviction is the specific legal mechanism that triggers punishment or incarceration.