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strength

strength

23 4.1
How convincing an idea, argument, or reason is
  • noun
  • /strɛŋkθ/
translation icon : fuerza
  • Any decision could be validated on the strength of some historical tradition.
  • strength of the argument
  • strength of evidence
  • strength of the opposition

And so the strengths of a position pushed too far become weaknesses.

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Examples

  • Practice guides conspicuously display these ratings of the strength of evidence for each recommendation in the text.

    Academic text (2012)
  • The strength of his perspective made the audience reconsider their opinions.

  • Clearly, they hope to win the case on the strength of their physical evidence.

  • Such was the strength of his conviction.

  • So I think that's a real strength of the work.

  • The greatest strength of this book is that it's very readable.

  • Nevertheless, the strength of association between annual volume and network connectivity was modest.

    Academic text (2011)
  • Just real quickly on Gmail, I'm always surprised at the strength of e-mail.

  • The lawyer presented compelling evidence that enhanced the strength of her argument.

  • The success of the campaign depended on the strength of its underlying message.

Synonyms

persuasiveness
vsstrength
1 5.2

Ability to make someone believe or do something

emphasizes the overall degree of force that makes people accept an idea
cogency
vsstrength
  • Formal
1 7.2

A clear, logical, and convincing quality that makes people accept an idea

focuses more on the overall degree of force than on logic alone
convincibility
vsstrength
1 7.7

Ability to make others believe or accept an idea

highlights overall compelling impact rather than mere ability to seem believable
persuasibility
vsstrength
7.5

How well something like a speech or ad makes people agree

focuses on the degree of how compelling a viewpoint is
convincingness
vsstrength
7.1

The ability to make someone believe something is true

measures how compelling the entire argument or idea feels

Antonyms

133 1.4

Lack of physical or mental strength that makes someone less able to act

Compounds

A person's ability to stay calm and keep trying during hard times

The power of a country's armed forces to fight

field strength
  • Specialized
4 5.6

A measure of how strong an electric or magnetic field is at a place

Very strong and made for heavy use in factories, not for regular home use

tensile strength
  • Specialized
4 5.1

The most force a material can take when pulled before it breaks

Strength in the muscles around your stomach and back that helps you stay steady and move

2 4.1

A person who gives strong, steady support to others in hard times

An alcoholic drink like gin with no water or other drinks

A person who gives strong support and comfort in hard times

1 5.8

How strong a magnetic field is in a place

field strength unit
  • Specialized
7.3

A way to measure how strong a magnetic field is, for example tesla

high-strength brass
  • Specialized
7.0

A strong metal made from copper and zinc with a little manganese added

How Persuasive

compelling
298 5.1
strong case
30 3.9
strength
23 4.1

Surface Forms

strength singular
strengths plural

Morphology

strength = strong (transparent) = strong + th

Standard nominalization from 'strong' yielding a noun meaning 'quality or degree of being strong', which extends metaphorically to argument persuasiveness.

Etymology

Strength comes from old English, from strong ('powerful') and -th ('state' or 'quality'). So, the strength of an argument is how powerful and convincing that idea or reason is.