Tempting or attracting someone into doing something, often something they shouldn't do or wouldn't normally want to do.
From Latin 'seducere' (se- 'aside' + ducere 'to lead'), meaning literally 'to lead astray.' The term originally implied leading someone away from duty or virtue.
The root 'ducere' (to lead) shows up in 'aqueduct,' 'conductor,' and 'education'—they all involve leading or guiding! Seduction is just leading someone in a specific direction, often away from what they should be doing.
Seduction carries gendered baggage: women historically framed as seductresses/temptresses bearing moral responsibility for male desire, while male seduction normalized as conquest. Language reinforces this asymmetry.
Use neutrally to describe persuasion tactics regardless of gender; avoid implying moral blame differentially based on actor's gender.
["persuading","enticing","tempting"]
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