Definition of INDUCE (original) (raw)

transitive verb

: to move by persuasion or influence

: to call forth or bring about by influence or stimulation

: to cause the formation of

: to produce by induction

induce an electric current

: to determine by induction

specifically : to infer from particulars

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Inducing is usually gentle persuasion; you may, for instance, induce a friend to go to a concert, or induce a child to stop crying. An inducement is something that might lure you to do something, though inducements are occasionally a bit menacing, like the Godfather's offer that you can't refuse. Induce also sometimes means "produce;" thus, doctors must at times induce labor in a pregnant woman. Notice that induct and induction are somewhat different from induce and inducement, though they come from the identical roots.

Synonyms

Examples of induce in a Sentence

The advertisement is meant to induce people to eat more fruit. No one knows what induced him to leave. Her illness was induced by overwork. They will induce labor to avoid complications.

Recent Examples on the Web

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Knutson points out that anticipation can induce repetitive betting behavior, stating that the speed of dopamine release is important for reinforcing habitual behavior. —Hersh Shefrin, Forbes, 31 Dec. 2024 Breaks, however, induce dishabituation, so every time the noise comes back on, the level of suffering bounces back up. —Tali Sharot, WIRED, 31 Dec. 2024 Hamilton is accused of offering to pay recruits in exchange for committing and enrolling at FSU in 2023, inducing the recruits to act on the promise, and reneging on his promise. —Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 30 Dec. 2024 Dozens of states moved forward with a lawsuit against Meta, accusing it of inducing young children and teenagers into addictive social media use. —Andrew R. Chow, TIME, 30 Dec. 2024 See all Example Sentences for induce