persuade
Cause someone to believe or do something through reasoning or argument
Examples
In a meeting
“We need to persuade the stakeholders that this approach will reduce costs by 30%.”
Over coffee
“I'm trying to persuade my roommate to get a dog instead of a cat.”
Why this word
convince
Persuade focuses on influencing action or decision, while convince targets belief or understanding
influence
Persuade is more direct and intentional about changing someone's mind or behavior
urge
Persuade implies successfully changing someone's view, not just strongly recommending
Usage tip
Use when you want to emphasize logical reasoning rather than pure manipulation. More ethical and collaborative than 'convince' in many contexts.
Etymology
Latin 'persuadere' — per (thoroughly) + suadere (to advise, urge)
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Related words
broach
To bring up or introduce a topic for discussion
concise
Giving a lot of information clearly in few words.
ambiguous
Open to more than one interpretation; not clear or decided.
convey
To communicate or make an idea, feeling, or meaning known.
reiterate
To say something again for emphasis or clarity.
paraphrase
To restate something in different words to make it clearer or shorter.