persuasive

adjective

per·​sua·​sive pər-ˈswā-siv How to pronounce persuasive (audio)
-ziv
: 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.
These interpretations might have been persuasive in January. Stacie E. Goddard, Foreign Affairs, 22 Apr. 2025 Greenwood says the director was persuasive enough that the production could not just use Chatsworth, but to modify one of its rooms. Abigail Lee, Variety, 18 Apr. 2025 This and other firsthand examples of open trading in government secrets were so persuasive that Mr. Frankel’s memo was retyped and submitted as an affidavit in The Times’s response to the government’s complaint. David W. Dunlap, New York Times, 13 Apr. 2025 Ways of making people believe things don’t divide neatly into the persuasive and the coercive—the brainwashing model gives the lie to that distinction. Nikhil Krishnan, New Yorker, 31 Mar. 2025 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 2 May. 2025.

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

More from Merriam-Webster on persuasive

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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