1. The act of persuading or the state of being persuaded: "The persuasion of a democracy to big changes is at best a slow process" (Harold J. Laski).
2. The ability or power to persuade: "Three foremost aids to persuasion which occur to me are humility, concentration, and gusto" (Marianne Moore).
3. A strongly held opinion; a conviction. See synonyms at opinion.
4. 1. A body of religious beliefs; a religion: worshipers of various persuasions.
   2. A party, faction, or group holding to a particular set of ideas or beliefs.
5. Informal. Kind; sort: "the place where ... rockers of any gender or persuasion can become megastars" (Christopher John Farley).

[Middle English, from Old French, from Latin persuāsiō, persuāsiōn-, from persuāsus, past participle of persuādēre, to persuade. See persuade.]

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.