persuade

verb

per·​suade pər-ˈswād How to pronounce persuade (audio)
persuaded; persuading

transitive verb

1
: to move by argument, entreaty, or expostulation to a belief, position, or course of action
2
: to plead with : urge
persuader noun

Examples of persuade in a Sentence

He persuaded his friend to go back to school. She couldn't be persuaded to go. He would not let himself be persuaded into buying the more expensive stereo. I am not easily persuaded. They persuaded us that we were wrong. He persuaded himself that he had made the right choice.
Recent Examples on the Web Prime Minister Han Duck-soo on Sunday urged senior doctors to persuade the striking junior doctors to return to work. Hyung-Jin Kim, Quartz, 4 Mar. 2024 Worried about losing workers and pharmacy customers, Kroger persuaded its rival not to poach its workers or solicit customers, according to court documents. The Enquirer, 3 Mar. 2024 Some people aren’t persuaded, according to Jon Fansmith, the senior vice president for government relations at the American Council on Education, higher ed’s top advocacy group. Zachary Schermele, USA TODAY, 2 Mar. 2024 That project, meanwhile, is politically tied to efforts by the state to either persuade farmers on the San Joaquin River to reduce their diversions so that more water can flow through the Delta to enhance wildlife habitat, or force reductions by issuing new water quality standards for the Delta. Dan Walters, The Mercury News, 28 Feb. 2024 The film’s perfunctory storyline is less notable than its plethora of eccentric plot elements, such as Chief persuading Southpaw and Spooky, the latter wearing whiteface, to rob a bank disguised as Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. Frank Scheck, The Hollywood Reporter, 28 Feb. 2024 Metro-Detroit Political Action Network co-founder Ahmed Ghanim said Democrats need to do more than persuade voters to stop Trump from returning to the White House. Detroit Free Press, 25 Feb. 2024 Perhaps some of [his] former partners can be persuaded to work out an agreement with him. Dave Brooks, Billboard, 23 Feb. 2024 But even if he were persuaded to change his mind, that would not be sufficient. Ned Temko, The Christian Science Monitor, 22 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'persuade.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Latin persuadēre, from per- thoroughly + suadēre to advise, urge — more at sweet

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

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

Dictionary Entries Near persuade

Cite this Entry

“Persuade.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/persuade. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

persuade

verb
per·​suade pər-ˈswād How to pronounce persuade (audio)
persuaded; persuading
: to win over to a belief or to a course of action by argument or earnest request
persuadable
-ˈswād-ə-bəl
adjective
persuader noun

More from Merriam-Webster on persuade

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