persuasive
adjective
per·sua·sive
pər-ˈswā-siv 
-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
From the outside, proof that the food was good, the staff sincere, and the atmosphere persuasive enough to pull me out of pyjamas and into my wallet.
—
Lela London, Forbes.com, 29 Jan. 2026
Unfortunately, Wonder Man is far more persuasive in the abstract than in execution.
—Nicholas Quah, Vulture, 27 Jan. 2026
All the same, Pitts’s account reflects a broader shift in the consensus, one that many readers will find persuasive, as this one did.
—Margaret Talbot, New Yorker, 26 Jan. 2026
The University of Chicago Crime Lab in 2024, just days before the mayor sent ShotSpotter packing, offered a compelling op-ed in our pages outlining a data analysis making a highly persuasive case that ShotSpotter’s continuation would save dozens of lives each year.
—The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 23 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for persuasive
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Lela London, Forbes.com, 29 Jan. 2026
Unfortunately, Wonder Man is far more persuasive in the abstract than in execution.
—Nicholas Quah, Vulture, 27 Jan. 2026
All the same, Pitts’s account reflects a broader shift in the consensus, one that many readers will find persuasive, as this one did.
—Margaret Talbot, New Yorker, 26 Jan. 2026
The University of Chicago Crime Lab in 2024, just days before the mayor sent ShotSpotter packing, offered a compelling op-ed in our pages outlining a data analysis making a highly persuasive case that ShotSpotter’s continuation would save dozens of lives each year.
—The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 23 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for persuasive
Cite this Entry
“Persuasive.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/persuasive. Accessed 1 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
persuasive
adjective
per·sua·sive
pər-ˈswā-siv
-ziv
: tending to persuade
a persuasive argument
persuasively
adverb
persuasiveness
noun
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