noun
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the act of seducing or the state of being seduced
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a means of seduction
Usage
What does seduction mean? Seduction is the act of making someone want to engage in sexual activity with you, especially in a subtle or manipulative way. Seduction is also commonly used in a more general way meaning the act of tempting or influencing someone to do something, especially something bad or something they wouldn’t normally do. Though this sense of the word does not involve sex, it’s still often thought of as a metaphor for the type of seduction that does. Both senses of the word often imply a subtle manipulation in which one’s motives are hidden. Seduction is the noun form of the verb seduce. People or things that seduce or that are capable of seduction are said to be seductive. Example: Don’t be fooled by his charm and his seduction—he only wants one thing.
Etymology
Origin of seduction
First recorded in 1520–30; from Latin sēductiōn-, stem of sēductiō “a leading aside,” from sēduct(us) “led aside” (past participle of sēdūcere “to lead aside”; see seduce) + -iō -ion
Explanation
Use the noun seduction when you're talking about a devious kind of persuasion, in which you cajole or charm someone into going along with your evil plan. You can also use seduction to mean a romantic attraction, especially if one person sets out to attract the other. The Latin root is seducere, "lead away or lead astray." Originally, seduction only referred to a man enticing a woman into romance, and not the other way around.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
“The Seduction of Mimi,” chosen as an official entry at the Cannes festival in 1972, immediately established her as an important new filmmaker.
From New York Times • Dec. 9, 2021
A filmmaker since the early 1960s, Wertmuller took world cinema by storm with her politically charged films of the 1970s, including "The Seduction of Mimi", "Love and Anarchy" and "Swept Away."
From Reuters • Dec. 9, 2021
Of course, I’m talking about A Recipe for Seduction, an unexpected bit of sponsored content from Kentucky Fried Chicken and Lifetime debuting on Dec. 13.
From Slate • Dec. 11, 2020
Besides “Seven Beauties,” Wertmüller had a string of notable films in the 1970s including “The Seduction of Mimi” and “Swept Away,” which Guy Ritchie would attempt to remake with Madonna in 2002.
From Seattle Times • Oct. 25, 2019
Seduction thus failing of its ends, calumny, menaces, and the height of power were made use of against him.
From A Collection of State-Papers, Relative to the First Acknowledgment of the Sovereignty of the United States of America by Adams, John
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
