persuasive

adjective

per·​sua·​sive pər-ˈswā-siv How to pronounce persuasive (audio)
-ziv
Synonyms of persuasivenext
: tending to persuade
persuasively adverb
persuasiveness noun

Examples of persuasive in a Sentence

We weren't shown any persuasive evidence that he had committed the crime. a persuasive argument for increasing funding of the city's library system
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
David Greenberg, a historian at Rutgers University and a biographer of the civil-rights leader John Lewis, told me that the right could have made a persuasive case against the excessive preoccupation with slavery and racial politics that some on the left have shown. Thomas Chatterton Williams, The Atlantic, 13 Feb. 2026 Throughout their 52 years in operation as a family business, Elizabeth’s distinguished itself by honing concise and persuasive staff recommendations. Jess Decourcy Hinds february 13, Literary Hub, 13 Feb. 2026 Brian Shearer from Vanderbilt University’s Policy Accelerator for Political Economy and Regulation has made a persuasive case for capping credit card rates for the rest of us too. Carter Dougherty, Mercury News, 7 Feb. 2026 Still, White’s explanation is the most persuasive, and is further supported by other circumstantial evidence, including a recent decision by the Securities and Exchange Commission to lift limits on trading Bitcoin options. Jeff John Roberts, Fortune, 6 Feb. 2026 See All Example Sentences for persuasive

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of persuasive was in the 15th century

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Cite this Entry

“Persuasive.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/persuasive. Accessed 14 Feb. 2026.

Kids Definition

persuasive

adjective
per·​sua·​sive pər-ˈswā-siv How to pronounce persuasive (audio)
-ziv
: tending to persuade
a persuasive argument
persuasively adverb
persuasiveness noun

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