persuasion

[ per-swey-zhuhn ]

noun

1. the act of persuading or seeking to persuade.
2. the power of persuading; persuasive force.
3. the state or fact of being persuaded or convinced.
4. a deep conviction or belief.
5. a form or system of belief, especially religious belief:

   the Quaker persuasion.

6. a sect, group, or faction holding or advocating a particular belief, idea, ideology, etc.:

   Several of the people present are of the socialist persuasion.

7. Facetious. kind or sort.

persuasion

/ pəˈsweɪʒən /

noun

1. the act of persuading or of trying to persuade
2. the power to persuade
3. the state of being persuaded; strong belief
4. an established creed or belief, esp a religious one
5. a sect, party, or faction

Other Words From

• preper·suasion noun
• self-per·suasion noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of persuasion¹

First recorded in 1350–1400; late Middle English, from Latin persuāsiōn-, stem of persuāsiō; equivalent to per- + suasion; replacing Middle English persuacioun, from Middle French persuacion, from Latin, as above

Word History and Origins

Origin of persuasion¹

C14: from Latin persuāsiō; see persuade

Synonym Study

See advice.

Example Sentences

My colleague Dylan Matthews recently reported on findings that voters in general elections are likely not moved at all by campaign persuasion efforts like “canvassing, phone calls, direct mail, TV, online ads, or anything else under the sun.”

From Vox

I hesitate to recommend this outright because the “Which is not that true” bit leads me to believe you might be open to the right kind of persuasion.

From Ozy

In the three short weeks until Election Day, Pa’Lante is expecting a steady deluge of messages that shift away from persuasion and move into intentional suppression by spreading messages meant to confuse and intimidate voters.

From MIT Technology Review

He conducts research on factors affecting human judgment and decision-making and teaches courses on persuasion and consumer behavior.

From Fortune

Many focus on issue persuasion, voter mobilization, or fundraising, and some groups use much more sophisticated approaches than others.

From MIT Technology Review

But Hollande was “insistent,” she writes, and “his strength of persuasion was nuclear.”

From The Daily Beast

Further, creating models for persuasion is “incredibly hard.”

From The Daily Beast

My mom stands there, unimpressed by my attempt at persuasion.

From The Daily Beast

You might be surprised to hear that hidden in Tampa, Florida is a food oasis of the Cuban persuasion.

From The Daily Beast

Let us, through persuasion and education, seek to improve institutions we deem defective.

From The Daily Beast

After an hour's insane remonstrance, he gave in to his own alarm, rather than to the persuasion of his partner.

From Project Gutenberg

A year later I found Agoncillo of exactly the same intransigent persuasion.

From Project Gutenberg

It also legalised peaceful picketing, that particular form of persuasion with which a democratic age has become only too familiar.

From Project Gutenberg

We leave Pernambuco, with a firm persuasion that this part of Brazil at least will never again tamely submit to Portugal.

From Project Gutenberg

At his persuasion the pope purchased the vineyard, and the archological commission began the work of excavation.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• belief
• creed
• denomination