What does dissuasion mean?
Dissuasion is a formal noun referring to the act of persuading someone not to do something — the verbal counterpart of discouragement through reasoned argument or earnest appeal. Where persuasion pushes a person toward a choice, dissuasion pulls them away from it, whether through warnings, appeals to caution, or heartfelt counsel. The word derives from the Latin 'dissuadere,' formed by adding the negative prefix 'dis-' to 'suadere,' meaning 'to urge' — so at its root, dissuasion literally means 'to urge apart.' In modern English it is relatively rare and literary, appearing more often in written prose than everyday speech; speakers more commonly use the verb form 'dissuade,' as in 'she dissuaded him from resigning.' Dissuasion carries a connotation of well-intentioned restraint: those who practice it usually believe they are protecting someone from harm or folly. It is an uncountable noun in typical usage, and its register is distinctly elevated.
nounThe act or process of persuading someone not to do something; advice against a course of action.
- The act of advising or urging someone not to do something; the state of being discouraged from a course of action.
"Despite his friends' dissuasion, he quit his job to travel the world."
"All her mother's gentle dissuasion could not stop her from marrying him."
"After much dissuasion from his colleagues, he abandoned the risky investment."
Rarely used in the plural; the noun is almost always uncountable. A plural may occasionally appear when counting distinct instances of advice against something.
"His diary records the many dissuasions offered before he finally departed."
Dissuasion is the quiet art of talking someone out of it — the Latin 'dis' flips persuasion on its head, turning 'I urge you' into 'I urge you not to.'
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of dissuasion
Dissuasion comes from the Latin 'dissuasio,' formed from 'dissuadere,' meaning 'to advise against.' This verb combines the prefix 'dis-' (apart, away) with 'suadere' ('to urge' or 'to persuade'), which itself gave English both 'suasion' and 'persuasion.' The word entered English in the late Middle Ages or early modern period, borrowed directly from Latin rather than through French. Its closest relatives are the other 'suade' words — persuade, suasion, dissuade — all tracing back to the same Indo-European root relating to sweet-talking and urging.
Related word forms
How dissuasion is actually used
Dissuasion is a formal, somewhat literary word, far less common than its verb 'dissuade.' It typically appears in contexts involving earnest advice against a decision. It is uncountable in most uses.
Easily confused with dissuasion
Persuasion urges someone toward an action, while dissuasion urges them away from one.