Concept:The opposite of “persuasion” is “coercion”, since persuasion means gentle convincing while coercion means using force or threats.
Explanation:“Persuasion” refers to convincing someone through reasoning, argument, or gentle influence.
It implies that the person agrees willingly after being convinced.
The opposite idea is “coercion”, which means forcing someone to act against their will by using threats or power.
In the sentence, the speaker is advising that instead of forcing witnesses to come to court, one should try to convince them willingly through persuasion.
Thus, the word that correctly fills the gap and is most nearly opposite in meaning to “persuasion” is “coercion”.
Answer:B. coercion