persuasion

1 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 conversion, convincing, inducement, inducing, persuading, suasion Related Words blandishment, cajolement, cajolery, coaxing, entreaty, exhortation, urging, wheedling; seduction, tempting; influencing, prompting, swaying; lobbying, pressuring; brainwashing, overpersuasion

2 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 credo, creed, cult, faith, religionRelated Words church, communion, denomination, sect; doctrine, dogma, theology; deism, heathenism, monotheism, paganism, pantheism, polytheism, theismNear Antonyms agnosticism, know-nothingism; atheism, godlessness, nonbelief, secularism, unbelief

3 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 belief, conviction, eye, feeling, judgment (or judgement), mind, notion, opinion, sentiment, verdict, viewRelated Words say; impression, perception, take; attitude; assumption, presumption, presupposition; conclusion, decision, determination; deliverance, esteem, estimate, estimation; credence, credit, faith; concept, conception, idea, thought; position, stance, stand; comment, obiter dictum, observation, reflection, remark; conjecture, guess, hunch, hypothesis, surmise, theory; advice, input, recommendation, suggestion; angle, outlook, perspective, shoes, slant, standpoint, viewpoint; counterviewNear Antonyms fact, truth

4 the capacity to persuade there was an inherent persuasion in his sonorous voice that made listeners put aside any misgivings about his message Synonyms authority, conclusiveness, convincingness, effectiveness, force, forcefulness, cogency, persuasiveness, suasivenessRelated Words impact, might, power, punch, strength, weight; believability, credibility, soundness, validity; authoritativeness, definitiveness; influence, sway; appeal, seductivenessNear Antonyms invalidity, shakiness, unsoundness; feebleness, powerlessness, weaknessAntonyms inconclusiveness, ineffectiveness, ineffectuality, ineffectualness