exhortation

/ˌɛɡˌzɔrˈteɪʃən/

Other forms: exhortations

When you were little, heading out the door on a freezing cold day, your mom probably made an exhortation to put on your hat and zip your coat up all the way. An exhortation is a loud or enthusiastic urging.

Use an exhortation any time you really want to encourage someone to do something. It's a way of communicating that's persuasive and powerful — an exhortation might come from a government in the form of a speech encouraging people to get flu shots, or it might be a teacher urging his students to sit quietly. Whether it comes in the form of a warning or encouragement, an exhortation strongly advises people to take some particular action.

Definitions of exhortation

1. noun

   the act of exhorting; an earnest attempt at persuasion
   synonyms: incitement

   types:

   pep talk

   a speech of exhortation attempting to instill enthusiasm and determination in a team or staff

   type of:

   persuasion, suasion

   the act of persuading (or attempting to persuade); communication intended to induce belief or action
2. noun

   a communication intended to urge or persuade the recipients to take some action
   type of:

   communicating, communication

   the activity of communicating; the activity of conveying information