Convince vs. Persuade

#When to Use Convince

Convince functions verb and is defined as
cause (someone) to believe firmly in the truth of something .

But it would take her three and a half months, five court hearings, three letters from her landlord and a copy of her lease to convince the judge. – The New York Times

A 40-year-old St. Louis woman isn’t dead, but she said she spent months trying to convince credit reporting agencies that she’s alive. – Washington Post

If you’re not convinced that the other side is trustworthy, you’re going to try to limit their scope of action as much as possible. –The New Yorker

Convince comes from a Latin word meaning, “conquer, overcome.” To convince someone of something is to present facts, logic, arguments, etc., that cause said person to believe the truth of something. In other words, when you are convinced of something, you “conquer” or “overcome” you previous beliefs.

For example, you might be convinced that fishing is fun. Or convinced that the sun is the center of our solar system.

The key takeaway is that convincing is limited to the mind. I am convinced of the truth of something, but I am not convinced to do something. This is the traditional distinction between convince and persuade.

This also means that you shouldn’t use an infinitive to follow convince . For example,

He convinced me to take the leap.

In traditional usage, convince should not be used with and infinitive. That is where
persuade comes into play.

#When to Use Persuade

Persuade also functions as a verb and is defined as cause (someone) to do something through reasoning or argument .

It wasn’t easy, but I persuaded him to do the right thing.

I persuaded him to apply to both colleges.

The Senator persuaded members or either party to side with him on the upcoming vote.

As you can see, one persuades someone to do something, but one convinces someone of something. I might persuade you to go skiing with me, but I convince you that it is a good idea. Persuasion leads to action, while convincement stays in the mind of those convinced.