noun
con
A person who is or has been imprisoned for a crime.
The con spends his afternoons reading in the prison library.
Etymology
Con shortens convict. The informal name identifies someone through a criminal conviction and imprisonment rather than through a separate occupational or personal characteristic.
More examples
- Several cons attend classes while serving their sentences.
- After his release, the former con finds work as a mechanic.
- The older con helps new arrivals learn the prison rules.
Forms
con · cons