Meanings
plural suasions
- countableuncountableThe act of urging or influencing; persuasion.First known use 14th c.
The high intricate ways of the Keep had a strange power of suasion, an ability to carry conviction.
1977, Stephen R. Donaldson, The Illearth War, page 752 more examples
James Cable, the author of Gunboat Diplomacy (Chatto & Windus, 1971), has created an excellent case study of naval presence and suasion during the era of appeasement.
1982, Jacob Kipp, “Review of The Royal Navy and the Siege of Bilbao by James Cable”, in Military Affairs, volume 46, number 4, page 217The term moral suasion refers to an appeal to ‘morality’ or ‘patriotic duty’ to induce behaviour by the persuaded entity that is not necessary profit-maximising for it.
2017, Alexander Popov, Neeltje van Horen, Steven Ongena, “Moral suasion and bond buying in the Eurozone Crisis”, in VoxEU, CEPRSynonyms: suasiveness
Synonyms & antonyms
nounThe act of urging or influencing; persuasion.
More synonyms by meaning
nounthe act of persuading (or attempting to persuade); communication intended to induce belief or action
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Latinsuāsiō“counselling, advice, persuasion”
- Middle Englishsuasion
- Englishsuasion
From Middle English suasion, from Latin suāsiō (“counselling, advice, persuasion”).
More words from Middle English, Latin
Full word history & related roots →Rhymes & wordplay
Anagrams
Cite this entry
suasion. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/suasion
“suasion.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/suasion. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “suasion,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/suasion.
Source: suasion on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.