persuasion

noun

pər-ˈswā-zhən How to pronounce persuasion (audio)
Definition of persuasionnext
1
as in convincing
the act of reasoning or pleading with someone to accept a belief or course of action the suffragists' gradual persuasion of the American people that voting rights had to be extended to women

Synonyms & Similar Words

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2
as in religion
a body of beliefs and practices regarding the supernatural and the worship of one or more deities debating theology with someone of a different persuasion

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in belief
an idea that is believed to be true or valid without positive knowledge he's of the persuasion that everything that happens in this world is part of a divine plan

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in effectiveness
the capacity to persuade there was an inherent persuasion in his sonorous voice that made listeners put aside any misgivings about his message

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How does the noun persuasion contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of persuasion are belief, conviction, opinion, sentiment, and view. While all these words mean "a judgment one holds as true," persuasion suggests a belief grounded on assurance (as by evidence) of its truth.

was of the persuasion that everything changes

When might belief be a better fit than persuasion?

In some situations, the words belief and persuasion are roughly equivalent. However, belief implies often deliberate acceptance and intellectual assent.

a firm belief in her party's platform

When could conviction be used to replace persuasion?

The meanings of conviction and persuasion largely overlap; however, conviction applies to a firmly and seriously held belief.

the conviction that animal life is as sacred as human

When is opinion a more appropriate choice than persuasion?

The words opinion and persuasion are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, opinion implies a conclusion thought out yet open to dispute.

each expert seemed to have a different opinion

Where would sentiment be a reasonable alternative to persuasion?

The synonyms sentiment and persuasion are sometimes interchangeable, but sentiment suggests a settled opinion reflective of one's feelings.

her feminist sentiments are well-known

When can view be used instead of persuasion?

The words view and persuasion can be used in similar contexts, but view suggests a subjective opinion.

very assertive in stating his views

Examples Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of persuasion Donald Trump - The persuasion window for Donald Trump has closed. —NBC News, 20 Oct. 2024 Fortunately, that responsibility fell on the shoulders of someone with proficiency in performance, persuasion, and the actor feat besides: voice director Mary Elizabeth McGlynn. —Sarah Shachat, IndieWire, 4 Oct. 2024 Attorneys for Taylor, Rodriguez and Lore will need to fashion their arguments and style of persuasion accordingly. —Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 4 Nov. 2024 Mercury enters Sagittarius, sharpening your powers of persuasion. —USA TODAY, 2 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for persuasion 
Recent Examples of Synonyms for persuasion
  1. religion
  2. belief
  3. conversion
  4. cult
  5. opinion
  6. mind
  7. authority
  8. view
Noun
  • The curse of religion is that its faithful cannot learn objective lessons from the evidence before them.
    Letters To The Editor, The Mercury News, 15 Nov. 2024
  • And how does that square with the violence of organized religion?
    Nicholas Quah, Vulture, 8 Nov. 2024
Definition of religion
Noun
  • Other studies suggest peer support fosters belonging, community, social connectedness, resilience, belief in oneself, hope, and empowerment—all of which can contribute to overall well-being, even if those attributes are harder to measure than clinical symptoms.
    Jamie Ducharme, TIME, 22 Nov. 2024
  • Studying the beliefs and ideas of a past time and place bumped the object to one side, where it now was given equal weight to economics, literature, religion, scientific developments, politics and other varieties of social life.
    Christopher Knight, Los Angeles Times, 22 Nov. 2024
Definition of belief
Noun
  • This level of specificity leads to higher conversion rates and improved return on investment (ROI).
    Jon Jacobson, Forbes, 21 Nov. 2024
  • The filing also details various financial agreements, including debt conversion agreements and convertible note agreements.
    Quartz Bot, Quartz, 19 Nov. 2024
Definition of conversion
Noun
  • The original film premiered to rave reviews in the Midnight Madness section of the Toronto International Film Festival in 2006 and went on to gain cult status after its releases in Australia and New Zealand, the UK (Icon), and the US (IFC and Dimension).
    Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 5 Nov. 2024
  • The track comes from The Nightmare Before Christmas, the stop-motion claymation movie that’s become not just a cult classic, but a commercial success story every year.
    Hugh McIntyre, Forbes, 1 Nov. 2024
Definition of cult
Noun
  • Wake up each morning to the day's top news, analysis and opinion delivered to your inbox.
    Simon Romero, New York Times, 28 Nov. 2024
  • Learning how to have productive conversations The week before Thanksgiving, Sandler's students role-played scenarios like how to have a productive discussion with someone who doesn't believe the truth and how to tell the difference between fact and opinion.
    Cait Bladt, CBS News, 28 Nov. 2024
Definition of opinion
Noun
  • The Searchlight Pictures movie opens in December and seems to reinforce the narrative that mostly late-breaking movies are top of mind for awards voters.
    Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 22 Nov. 2024
  • Environmental signage in and around your office space can also help keep the new brand top of mind.
    Jill Collins, Forbes, 22 Nov. 2024
Definition of mind
Noun
  • Trump could use the executive branch’s authority to rescind certain proposals.
    Li Zhou, WIRED, 23 Nov. 2024
  • Police accountability The incident is the 13th shooting this year to involve a Las Vegas Metropolitan Police officer and the eighth that has led to a fatality, authorities said.
    Karina Tsui, CNN, 22 Nov. 2024
Definition of authority
Noun
  • Another divide between Richard and Margaret is their view of the house where all the action occurs.
    Maureen Lee Lenker, EW.com, 27 Nov. 2024
  • Bhattacharya, who faced restrictions on social media platforms because of his views, was also a plaintiff in Murthy v. Missouri, a Supreme Court case contending that federal officials improperly suppressed conservative views on social media as part of their efforts to combat misinformation.
    Compiled byDemocrat-Gazette staff from wire reports, arkansasonline.com, 27 Nov. 2024
Definition of view

Thesaurus Entries Near persuasion

persuasible

persuasion

persuasions

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Cite this Entry

“Persuasion.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/persuasion. Accessed 2 Dec. 2024.

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More from Merriam-Webster on persuasion

Nglish: Translation of persuasion for Spanish Speakers

Britannica English: Translation of persuasion for Arabic Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about persuasion

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