persuasive

English

Etymology

From Middle French persuasif, from Medieval Latin persuāsīvus, from Latin past participle stem of persuādēre + -īvus.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /pə(ɹ)ˈsweɪsɪv/
  • Audio (Southern England):(file)
  • Audio (Mid-Atlantic US):(file)

Adjective

persuasive (comparative more persuasive, superlative most persuasive)

  1. Able to persuade; convincing.
    Synonyms: cogent, (obsolete) convincing, flexanimous, (rare) inducing, (obsolete, rare) inducive, (obsolete, rare) inductious, persuadable, (now rare) persuading, (obsolete) persuasible, pleaful, (rare) psychagogic, (rare) psychagogical, (obsolete, rare) suading, (now rare) suasorian, suasory
    Antonyms: dehortative, dehortatory, dehorting, dissuading, dissuasive, (obsolete) retractive, unconvincing, unpersuasive
    • 2020 December 2, Andy Byford talks to Paul Clifton, “I enjoy really big challenges...”, in Rail, page 55:
      But I'm pretty persuasive, and I've learned how elected officials think. I know how to press their buttons.

Derived terms

Translations

Noun

persuasive (plural persuasives)

  1. That which persuades; incitement.
    • 1839, George Robert Gleig, Germany, Bohemia, and Hungary: Visited in 1837, volume 1, page 68:
      He smiled a very knowing smile, and setting up a halloo, and shaking his leathern thong, away we went at the rate of seven or eight miles an hour. I had no occasion to go further with my persuasives; the pace was kept up, []

Further reading

French

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /pɛʁ.sɥa.ziv/

Adjective

persuasive

  1. feminine singular of persuasif

German

Pronunciation

Adjective

persuasive

  1. inflection of persuasiv:
    1. strong/mixed nominative/accusative feminine singular
    2. strong nominative/accusative plural
    3. weak nominative all-gender singular
    4. weak accusative feminine/neuter singular

Italian

Adjective

persuasive

  1. feminine plural of persuasivo