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
Relevance
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
Example 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
Essentially Shackleton became famous for failing – which does seem to be a somewhat curious American cultural persuasion.
—
Neil Senturia, San Diego Union-Tribune, 13 Apr. 2026
Some effort at persuasion seemed to be an accepted precondition for war.
—Fintan O’Toole, The New York Review of Books, 9 Apr. 2026
Reluctance to commit to a binary political persuasion also fuels the feisty remarks and damage-control campaigns of Oklahoma’s Zach Bryan and the pressure on Tennessee crossover folk-pop star and rapper Jelly Roll to honor his Grammys promise to state his position on ICE.
—Craig Jenkins, Vulture, 8 Apr. 2026
Politics of fear Presidential rhetoric is more about permission than persuasion.
—Stephanie A, The Conversation, 8 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for persuasion
Neil Senturia, San Diego Union-Tribune, 13 Apr. 2026
Some effort at persuasion seemed to be an accepted precondition for war.
—Fintan O’Toole, The New York Review of Books, 9 Apr. 2026
Reluctance to commit to a binary political persuasion also fuels the feisty remarks and damage-control campaigns of Oklahoma’s Zach Bryan and the pressure on Tennessee crossover folk-pop star and rapper Jelly Roll to honor his Grammys promise to state his position on ICE.
—Craig Jenkins, Vulture, 8 Apr. 2026
Politics of fear Presidential rhetoric is more about permission than persuasion.
—Stephanie A, The Conversation, 8 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for persuasion
Recent Examples of Synonyms for persuasion
Noun
-
In 1970 the law was amended to extend immigration and citizenship rights to the children and grandchildren of Jews, as well as to their spouses, but the amendment excluded people who had been Jewish and voluntarily adopted another religion.—
Encyclopedia Britannica,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
30 Apr. 2026
-
Discussions about politics, religion or racial issues might have too much explosive intensity.—
Georgia Nicols,
Denver Post,
30 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Over the years, one of these pass catchers tends to inspire some belief over the summer.—
Alec Lewis,
New York Times,
27 Apr. 2026
-
Early cultures, including Native American tribes, looked to the heavens for time keeping, spiritual beliefs and navigation.—
Ernie Cowan,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
26 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
By combining cutting-edge protection, mobility, and digital integration, these vehicles are set to play a crucial role in enhancing military effectiveness and safeguarding personnel.—
Prabhat Ranjan Mishra,
Interesting Engineering,
27 Apr. 2026
-
Today, affordability is becoming just as important as effectiveness.—
Daniel Fusch,
USA Today,
27 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
This strategic move is backed by internal DressX’s own data, which indicates that users who engage with virtual try-on features see a tenfold increase in conversion rates compared to those who do not.—
Arthur Zaczkiewicz,
Footwear News,
28 Apr. 2026
-
Now, Musk's lawyers are set to argue that Altman and others enriched themselves illegally through that for-profit conversion.—
John Ruwitch,
NPR,
28 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The cult of Santa Muerte could, of course, be said to be in the thrall of that fantasy, but the same could be said of the cult’s main antagonist, the Catholic Church, which has vociferously denounced the movement.—
Chris Wiley,
New Yorker,
28 Apr. 2026
-
The cult status Drain Gang commands online has created an inscrutable, near-mythical air around its members.—
Harry Thorfinn-George,
Pitchfork,
27 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The Sun’s five-member editorial board consists of Jensen, publisher Trif Alatzas, opinion editor Philip Caldwell, and columnists Torrey Snow and Julian Baron.—
Lily Carey,
Baltimore Sun,
28 Apr. 2026
-
The opinions expressed in this story are his and not those of ABC News.—
Donald J. Mihalek,
ABC News,
27 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
But his dictionary, with its conclusiveness, was a huge publishing success.—
Louis Menand,
New Yorker,
22 Dec. 2025
Noun
-
The 70-year-old was explaining how the revival came about through years-long persuading of Emmy-winning creator and executive producer Linwood Boomer.—
Mekishana Pierre,
Entertainment Weekly,
7 Apr. 2026
-
Each distortion is what happens when the body does the persuading, and the ideas are just the wardrobe.—
Alexis Coe,
Vanity Fair,
18 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Persuasion.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/persuasion. Accessed 1 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
