persuasive
Americanadjective
noun
adjective
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of persuasive
First recorded in 1580–90, persuasive is from the Medieval Latin word persuāsīvus. See persuasible, -ive
Explanation
If you are persuasive, then you have a knack for getting people to do things. Your most persuasive friend might be able to talk you into riding in a hot air balloon despite your fear of heights. People can be persuasive by using emotion or logic. A persuasive encyclopedia salesman might lead you to believe you'll be a smarter person with your own complete set of reference books. Temptations can also be persuasive. If your mom offers you ten dollars to walk her dog, you might find her offer very persuasive. Persuasive can be tricky to spell — remember that the u sounds like a w.
Vocabulary lists containing persuasive
TEKS ELAR Academic Vocabulary List (5th-7th grades)
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The SAT: Words to Capture Tone, List 5
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The New SAT: Words to Capture Tone
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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.
Multiple insiders describe him as extraordinarily persuasive in one-on-one conversations.
From MarketWatch • May 27, 2026
Dungeons & Dragons is a tabletop roleplaying game where players create fantasy characters and roll dice to determine whether their actions, like a sword attack or a persuasive argument, are successful against their foes.
From Los Angeles Times • May 24, 2026
"But for people who are younger, who haven't been exposed to cynical marketing practices, these strategies may have more persuasive impacts."
From BBC • May 13, 2026
Especially when the correspondences between art and garment are so pleasurable—continuously surprising and poetically persuasive.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 9, 2026
And the orator need know nothing of medicine himself, hmm? socrates: Then, when the rhetorician is more persuasive than the physician, the ignorant is more persuasive with the ignorant than he who has knowledge?
From "Words Like Loaded Pistols" by Sam Leith
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.
