A persuasive definition is a form of stipulative definition which purports to describe the true or commonly accepted meaning of a term, while in reality stipulating an uncommon or altered use, usually to support an argument for some view, or to create or alter rights, duties or crimes.
)[2][3][4] Examples of persuasive definitions (definist fallacies) include: Persuasive definitions commonly appear in controversial topics such as politics, sex, and religion, as participants in emotionally charged exchanges will sometimes become more concerned about swaying people to one side or another than expressing the unbiased facts.
[1] The term "persuasive definition" was introduced by philosopher Charles Stevenson as part of his emotive theory of meaning.
[10] He noted that some words, such as peace or war, are not simply used to describe reality by modifying the cognitive response of the interlocutor.
These words have the tendency to encourage future actions, to lead the hearer towards a decision by affecting his or her system of interests.
[13] Applying this distinction reveals how the redefinition of an ethical word is transformed into an instrument of persuasion, a tool for redirecting preferences and emotions:[12] Ethical definitions involve a wedding of descriptive and emotive meaning, and accordingly have a frequent use in redirecting and intensifying attitudes.
A sneak is just a friend of the good of the State, the plague of the crooks, the faithful servant of his Prince.This quasi-definition employed in the first case underscores a fundamental dimension of the "emotive" meaning of a word, namely its relationship with the shared values, which are attacked as "prejudices."
This account given by the spy shows how describing the referent based on a different hierarchy of values can modify emotive meaning.