verb (used with object), per·suad·ed, per·suad·ing.
- to prevail on (a person) to do something, as by advising or urging: We could not persuade him to wait.
- to induce to believe by appealing to reason or understanding; convince: to persuade the judge of the prisoner’s innocence.
adjective
- not having been induced, urged, or prevailed upon successfully
verb (tr; may take a clause as object or an infinitive)
- to induce, urge, or prevail upon successfullyhe finally persuaded them to buy it
- to cause to believe; convinceeven with the evidence, the police were not persuaded
v.1510s, from Middle French persuader (14c.), from Latin persuadere “to bring over by talking,” (see persuasion). Related: Persuaded; persuading.