persuasion · noun — the act of persuading, or trying to do so; the addressing of arguments to someone with the intention of changing their mind or convincing them of a certain point of view, course of action etc. It carries an Arena rating of 1742, earned across 10 head-to-head judged battles.
Definition from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 3.0).
Among words judged in Lexicurio's Arena, persuasion ranks #452 of 17,188 for Most Malleable Words, #4,995 of 17,188 for Words That Escaped Their Books, #5,908 of 17,172 for Most Beautiful Words, #8,526 of 17,162 for Most Elegant Words.
persuasion is pronounced /pəˈsweɪʒ(ə)n/.
Why “persuasion” is a great word
The act or process of influencing someone's beliefs, attitudes, or actions through reasoned argument or appeal. From French persuasion and its source, Latin persuāsiō, from persuādēre ('to persuade'), from suādēre ('to advise, recommend'); first attested in English in the late 14th century. Unlike dissuasion, which steers the will away from a course, or coercion, which overrides it through force, persuasion is the art of drawing another toward you—voluntary, seductive, complete only when the persuaded believes the choice was always their own. It is the lawyer's closing argument that reassembles the facts until they point to only one door; the lover's whispered case that makes departure unthinkable; the patient accumulation of evidence that finally, quietly, tips the scales of belief—a quiet surrender not to force, but to the almost imperceptible tilt of the soul toward conviction.
❧ Essay by Lexicurio’s AI · definition, etymology & citations from published sources
Etymology
From French persuasion and its source, Latin persuāsiō, from persuādēre, from suādēre (“to advise, recommend”).
noun
- The act of persuading, or trying to do so; the addressing of arguments to someone with the intention of changing their mind or convincing them of a certain point of view, course of action etc.e.g.“With the base unleashed, the White House was unable to broker a compromise, either by persuasion or by pressure.” — 2006, Rachel Morris, “Borderline Catastrophe”, in Washington Monthly, vol. 38:10:
- An argument or other statement intended to influence one's opinions or beliefs; a way of persuading someone.
- An argument or other statement intended to influence one's opinions or beliefs; a way of persuading someone.; All activity attempting to influence or control others' behavior or profession of beliefs, from convincing to threatening, assault, or battery.e.g.“Some of the shopowners were resistant to the extortion, so the mafia did some persuasion.”
- A strongly held conviction, opinion or belief.e.g.“It is his persuasion that abortion should never be condoned.”
- One's ability or power to influence someone's opinions or feelings; persuasiveness.
- A specified religious adherence, a creed; any school of thought or ideology.e.g.“As a convert from the Baptist persuasion more than 40 years ago, I still feel like an outsider in the church despite the kindness and acceptance of Catholic friends.” — 2009, US Catholic (letter), May 2009
- Another personal, animal or inanimate trait that is not (very) liable to be changed by persuasion, such as sex, gender, ethnicity, origin, profession or nature.e.g.“1871 February 14, J.J., "More Solution", Latter-Day Saints Millennial Star, page 105.
Let us pray that the next generation be all of the male persuasion.”
Definitions & examples from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 3.0).
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