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 Word Forms

• prepersuasion noun
• self-persuasion 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

I know that many people of all political persuasions admire that someone as talented as you is the living embodiment of social mobility.

From BBC

Politics and persuasion — on a shrinking map, and in difficult electoral environments like Iowa and Arizona — is the only option.

From Salon

Among people of all political persuasions, there is a sense that, somewhere, somehow, things have taken a wrong turn.

From Salon

Soft power is the ability to “obtain the outcomes one wants through attraction and persuasion rather than coercion and payment” — through means, that is, other than bullets, bullying and bribery.

From Salon

Israelis of all political persuasions were horrified by recent videos posted by their captors showing two badly emaciated young men in tunnels under Gaza.

From BBC

Related Words

• belief 
• creed 
• denomination