Opinion, view, belief, conviction, persuasion, sentiment are comparable when they mean a more or less clearly formulated idea or judgment which one holds as true or valid.
An opinion is a more or less carefully thought-out conclusion concerning something that is or may be questioned. The word not only does not exclude the suggestion of consideration of all the evidence and of arguments on both sides, but it sometimes implies such consideration.
However, the term more consistently suggests even in the preceding instances a personal element in the judgment, the possibility of its being in error, and the strong probability that it will be disputed.
A view is an opinion more or less colored by the feeling, sentiment, or bias of the individual.
A belief differs from an opinion or view in that it is not necessarily formulated by the individual who holds it, but may have been proposed to him for acceptance (as in the form of a doctrine, a dogma, a proposition, or an authoritative opinion). The emphasis in belief is placed on intellectual assent or assurance of truth.
A conviction is a belief which one holds firmly and unshakably because one is undisturbed by doubt of its truth.
A persuasion is usually at once an opinion and a belief. The term often implies that one’s assurance of its truth is induced by one’s feelings or wishes, rather than by argument or evidence.
Sentiment (see also FEELING 2 ) is becoming uncommon in this sense except in a few idiomatic phrases. The term applies to a more or less settled opinion, often with reference to something which involves one’s feelings or which is formulated so as to suggest the stimulus of emotion.