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Definition of persuasion noun from the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

persuasion

noun
 
/pəˈsweɪʒn/
 
/pərˈsweɪʒn/
Idioms
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  1. [uncountable] the act of persuading somebody to do something or to believe something
    • It didn't take much persuasion to get her to tell us where he was.
    • After a little gentle persuasion, he agreed to come.
    • She has great powers of persuasion.
    • I wasn’t intending to sell, but I’m open to persuasion.
    Extra Examples
    • He will use every means of persuasion to make her stay.
    • I had to use a little gentle persuasion to get her to agree.
    • I think with a little persuasion we can get him to come here.
    • I used all of my powers of persuasion to get Jay to come back.
    • They didn't need much persuasion.
    • He is uncertain of what he wants and is open to persuasion.
    • She is very charming, and skilled in the art of persuasion.
    Topics Discussion and agreementc1
    Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective
    • gentle
    • a little
    verb + persuasion
    • use
    • need
    • take
    phrases
    • the art of persuasion
    • a means of persuasion
    • somebody’s powers of persuasion
    See full entry
  2. [countable, uncountable] a particular set of beliefs, especially about religion or politics
    • Politicians of all persuasions condemned the attacks.
    • every shade of religious persuasion
    Extra Examples
    • Older people, of whatever political persuasion, tended to disagree with the statement.
    • He was not brought up in any particular religious persuasion.
    • Although I am not of your persuasion, I applaud what you are saying.
    • young people of every persuasion
    • discrimination on the grounds of a person's sexual persuasion
    • The meeting is open to people of all political persuasions.
    Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective
    • political
    • religious
    • sexual
    phrases
    • of all, different, varying, etc. persuasions
    • of… persuasion
    • of every persuasion
    See full entry
  3. Word Originlate Middle English: from Latin persuasio(n-), from the verb persuadere, from per- ‘through, to completion’ + suadere ‘advise’.
Idioms
of the… persuasion
  1. (formal or humorous) of the type mentioned
    • peers of the Liberal persuasion
See persuasion in the Oxford Advanced American DictionarySee persuasion in the Oxford Learner's Dictionary of Academic English

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