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Preposition after adjective

Unconvinced by or unconvinced of?

Use unconvinced by for the thing that failed to persuade someone. Use unconvinced of for the idea or claim that someone does not believe.

Quick answer

How do by and of differ after unconvinced?

Unconvinced by refers to the evidence, argument, or person that did not persuade someone. Unconvinced of refers to the belief or claim that someone doubts.

The jury remained unconvinced by the witness's story.
She is still unconvinced of his innocence.
Many voters were unconvinced by the campaign promises.

Choose the pattern by meaning

These forms are not interchangeable. Choose the construction by meaning, not by which preposition appears most often.

1
unconvinced by + evidence/person

Referring to failed persuasion

Use unconvinced by for arguments, explanations, evidence, or people that do not persuade.

I was unconvinced by his explanation.
They seemed unconvinced by the report.
2
unconvinced of + idea/fact

Expressing doubt about a claim

Use unconvinced of for beliefs, facts, or conclusions that someone does not accept.

She remains unconvinced of the benefits.
We are still unconvinced of its value.
3
completely unconvinced by

Adding emphasis

Adverbs such as completely or entirely often modify unconvinced.

The committee was completely unconvinced by the proposal.
I am entirely unconvinced by that argument.

See the difference in context

The same subject can take different constructions because each sentence answers a different question.

Construction
Example
Meaning
unconvinced by
He was unconvinced by the explanation.
The explanation failed to persuade him.
unconvinced of
She is unconvinced of their honesty.
She doubts or does not accept the idea.
convinced by
We were convinced by the evidence.
The evidence persuaded us.
convinced of
They are convinced of his talent.
They strongly believe something.

Common mistakes

Some combinations appear in real text but do not mean what learners often assume.

Using by for beliefs

Use of for the idea that is doubted.

✕ She is unconvinced by his innocence. ✓ She is unconvinced of his innocence.

Using of for evidence

Use by for the thing that tries to persuade.

✕ They were unconvinced of the presentation. ✓ They were unconvinced by the presentation.

Omitting the object

Unconvinced usually needs information about what or who is involved.

✕ I remain unconvinced. ✓ I remain unconvinced of the plan.

Quick practice

Choose the expression that matches the intended meaning.

1. The audience was not ___ the speaker's argument.
2. She is still ___ the theory.
3. We were completely ___ the evidence presented.

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Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between unconvinced by and unconvinced of?

By refers to the source of persuasion, while of refers to the belief or claim itself.

Can I say unconvinced about?

Unconvinced about appears sometimes in informal English, but unconvinced of is more standard for beliefs and claims.

Is unconvinced by a person correct?

Yes. You can be unconvinced by someone if they fail to persuade you.

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