: the act of influencing or persuading
Synonyms
Examples of suasion in a Sentence
a defense lawyer uses not only legal arguments but also moral suasion to appeal to a jury's sense of right and wrong
Recent Examples on the Web
All presidents have used leverage, often combined with moral suasion, personal relationships, public appeals, and other efforts, to attain their objectives in international affairs.
—
Richard Fontaine, Foreign Affairs, 5 Oct. 2020
Moral suasion can be even more powerful than policy.
—Arthur C. Brooks, Foreign Affairs, 13 Feb. 2017
For that change to work, however, politicians and other influential figures will need to use moral suasion to attack the cultural fixation on gaining a four-year degree at any cost.
—Arthur C. Brooks, Foreign Affairs, 13 Feb. 2017
Some will argue that self-expression is the goal, others moral suasion; some will prefer soft power to storming the barricades and some the reverse.
—Mark Olsen, Los Angeles Times, 27 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for suasion 
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Richard Fontaine, Foreign Affairs, 5 Oct. 2020
Moral suasion can be even more powerful than policy.
—Arthur C. Brooks, Foreign Affairs, 13 Feb. 2017
For that change to work, however, politicians and other influential figures will need to use moral suasion to attack the cultural fixation on gaining a four-year degree at any cost.
—Arthur C. Brooks, Foreign Affairs, 13 Feb. 2017
Some will argue that self-expression is the goal, others moral suasion; some will prefer soft power to storming the barricades and some the reverse.
—Mark Olsen, Los Angeles Times, 27 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for suasion
Dictionary Entries Near suasion
Cite this Entry
“Suasion.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/suasion. Accessed 22 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
suasion
noun
sua·sion
ˈswā-zhən 
: the act of influencing or persuading
moral suasion
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share