persuasive

adjective

per·​sua·​sive pər-ˈswā-siv 

-ziv

: tending to persuade

persuasively adverb

persuasiveness noun

Synonyms of persuasive

• compelling
• convincing
• conclusive
• strong

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

While Gen Z found Season 1 through the persuasive, legible, and surprisingly well-sustained power of the internet, Boomers seem to have taken the most linear approach possible. — Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 6 Oct. 2026

Agents are directed to scrub users’ names and other identifying information before sharing insights—for example, about when Muse’s nudges are most persuasive. — Harry Booth, Time, 6 Oct. 2026

Shown in daylight at the Tennis Club de Paris, the collection made a persuasive case for putting couture knowledge to everyday use. — ABC News, 2 Oct. 2026

The most persuasive passages in The Radiance occur when its articulate narrator cannot quite tell us what happened to him. — Zain Khalid, Vulture, 1 Oct. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for persuasive

• abrasive
• invasive
• pervasive
• noninvasive
• unpersuasive

Kids Definition

persuasive

adjective

per·​sua·​sive pər-ˈswā-siv 

-ziv

: tending to persuade

a persuasive argument

persuasively adverb

persuasiveness noun