different between motive vs persuasion

English

Etymology

From Middle English motif, from Anglo-Norman motif, Middle French motif, and their source, Late Latin motivum (“motive, moving cause”), neuter of motivus (“serving to move”).

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /?m??t?v/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /?mo?t?v/

Noun

motive (plural motives)

1. (obsolete) An idea or communication that makes one want to act, especially from spiritual sources; a divine prompting. [14th-17th c.]
2. An incentive to act in a particular way; a reason or emotion that makes one want to do something; anything that prompts a choice of action. [from 15th c.]
   • 1947, Malcolm Lowry, Under the Volcano:

     Many of them at first seemed kind to him, but it turned out their motives were not entirely altruistic.

   Synonym: motivation

3. (obsolete, rare) A limb or other bodily organ that can move. [15th-17th c.]
4. (law) Something which causes someone to want to commit a crime; a reason for criminal behaviour. [from 18th c.]
5. (architecture, fine arts) A motif. [from 19th c.]
6. (music) A motif; a theme or subject, especially one that is central to the work or often repeated. [from 19th c.]

Synonyms

• (creative works) motif

Related terms

Translations

Verb

motive (third-person singular simple present motives, present participle motiving, simple past and past participle motived)

1. (transitive) To prompt or incite by a motive or motives; to move.

   Synonym: motivate

Translations

Adjective

motive (not comparable)

1. Causing motion; having power to move, or tending to move
   • 1658, Sir Thomas Browne, The Garden of Cyrus, Folio Society 2007, p. 195:

     In the motive parts of animals may be discovered mutuall proportions; not only in those of Quadrupeds, but in the thigh-bone, legge, foot-bone, and claws of Birds.

   Synonym: moving

2. Relating to motion and/or to its cause

   Synonym: motional

Translations

Further reading

• motive in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913.
• motive in The Century Dictionary, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911.
• motive at OneLook Dictionary Search

Anagrams

• evomit, move it

French

Verb

motive

1. first-person singular present indicative of motiver
2. third-person singular present indicative of motiver
3. first-person singular present subjunctive of motiver
4. third-person singular present subjunctive of motiver
5. second-person singular imperative of motiver

Latin

Adjective

m?t?ve

1. vocative masculine singular of m?t?vus

Portuguese

Verb

motive

1. first-person singular (eu) present subjunctive of motivar
2. third-person singular (ele and ela, also used with você and others) present subjunctive of motivar
3. third-person singular (você) affirmative imperative of motivar
4. third-person singular (você) negative imperative of motivar

Romanian

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [mo?tive]

Noun

motive

1. plural of motiv

Serbo-Croatian

Noun

motive (Cyrillic spelling ??????)

1. accusative plural of motiv
2. vocative singular of motiv

Spanish

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /mo?tibe/, [mo?t?i.??e]

Verb

motive

1. Formal second-person singular (usted) imperative form of motivar.
2. First-person singular (yo) present subjunctive form of motivar.
3. Formal second-person singular (usted) present subjunctive form of motivar.
4. Third-person singular (él, ella, also used with usted^?) present subjunctive form of motivar.

English

Alternative forms

• perswasion (obsolete)

Etymology

From French persuasion and its source, Latin persu?si?, from persu?d?re, from su?d?re (“to advise, recommend”).

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /p??swe??(?)n/
• (US) IPA^(key): /p??swe???n/

Noun

persuasion (countable and uncountable, plural persuasions)

1. The act of persuading, or trying to do so; the addressing of arguments to someone with the intention of changing their mind or convincing them of a certain point of view, course of action etc. [from 14th c.]
   • 2006, Rachel Morris, "Borderline Catastrophe", Washington Monthly, vol. 38:10:

     With the base unleashed, the White House was unable to broker a compromise, either by persuasion or by pressure.

2. An argument or other statement intended to influence one's opinions or beliefs; a way of persuading someone. [from 14th c.]
   • 1928, "The New Pictures", Time, 13 Feb 1928:

     Sadie curses, weeps, then, infected by Mr. Hamilton's writhing persuasions, prays and becomes penitent.

3. A strongly held conviction, opinion or belief. [from 16th c.]

   It is his persuasion that abortion should never be condoned.

   • 2010, "We don't need gay stereotypes", The Guardian, 6 Feb 2010:

     Social understanding and equality can neither be nurtured through fear, nor intimidation. Surely this goes for people of all sexual persuasions.

4. One's ability or power to influence someone's opinions or feelings; persuasiveness. [from 16th c.]
5. A specified religious adherence, a creed; any school of thought or ideology. [from 17th c.]
   • 2009, US Catholic (letter), May 2009:

     As a convert from the Baptist persuasion more than 40 years ago, I still feel like an outsider in the church despite the kindness and acceptance of Catholic friends.

6. (by extension, often humorous) Another personal, animal or inanimate trait that is not (very) liable to be changed by persuasion, such as sex, gender, ethnicity, origin, profession or nature.
   • 1871 February 14, J.J., "More Solution", Latter-Day Saints Millennial Star, page 105.

   • 1919, Pere Marquette Magazine, Vol. 11, page 19.

   • 1967, Taxes. The Tax Magazine, vol. 45, issue 2, page 698.

   • 1984, The Medical Journal of Australia, page 739.

   • 2015, Leslie Kelly, No More Bad Girls, in New Year's Resolution: Romance!: Say Yes\No More Bad Girls\Just a Fling, Harlequin, page 125.

Antonyms

• dissuasion

Derived terms

• persuade
• persuasive
• suasion

Translations

French

Etymology

From Latin persuasio, from persuadere, from suadere (“to advise, recommend”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /p??.s?a.zj??/

Noun

persuasion f (plural persuasions)

1. persuasion

Further reading

• “persuasion” in Trésor de la langue française informatisé (The Digitized Treasury of the French Language).