suasion
English edit
Etymology edit
14th century. From Middle English suasion, from Latin suāsiō (“counselling, advice, persuasion”).
Pronunciation edit
Audio (US) (file)
Noun edit
suasion (countable and uncountable, plural suasions)
- The act of urging or influencing; persuasion.
- 1977, Stephen R. Donaldson, The Illearth War, page 75:
- The high intricate ways of the Keep had a strange power of suasion, an ability to carry conviction.
- 1982, Jacob Kipp, “Review of The Royal Navy and the Siege of Bilbao by James Cable”, in Military Affairs, volume 46, number 4, page 217:
- 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.
Usage notes edit
- Persuasion is much more commonly used than suasion.
- Persuasion ordinarily refers to exhortation by means of argumentation or reasoned discourse. Suasion may have this sense, but it is not uncommon for suasion to refer to the exercise of influence by other means.
Synonyms edit
Derived terms edit
Related terms edit
References edit
- “suasion”, in OneLook Dictionary Search.