persuasive
Able to convince others through reasoning or argument
Examples
In a meeting
“Your presentation was persuasive—the board approved the budget increase immediately.”
Over coffee
“He made a persuasive case for trying the new restaurant downtown.”
Why this word
convincing
Convincing focuses on intellectual acceptance; persuasive emphasizes moving someone to belief or action
compelling
Compelling suggests force or urgency; persuasive highlights the skill of influencing through argument
influential
Influential describes general impact; persuasive specifically refers to effectiveness in changing minds
Usage tip
Use when describing communication that effectively changes minds or influences decisions, rather than saying something 'makes a strong argument'
Etymology
Latin: persuadere (per- 'through' + suadere 'to advise')
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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.