induce

verb

in·​duce in-ˈdüs How to pronounce induce (audio)
-ˈdyüs
induced; inducing

transitive verb

1
a
: to move by persuasion or influence
b
: to call forth or bring about by influence or stimulation
2
a
b
: to cause the formation of
c
: to produce by induction
induce an electric current
3
: to determine by induction
specifically : to infer from particulars

Did you know?

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.

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 In contrast, Mayor Karen Bass’ Inside Safe program, designed to induce people to leave encampments voluntarily, has moved more than 2,100 people indoors, with nearly 400 receiving permanent housing and more than 400 falling back into homelessness, according to LAHSA figures from last month. Doug Smith, Los Angeles Times, 7 Mar. 2024 Hogg was nine months pregnant and her labor was set to be induced on Feb. 13, officials told multiple news outlets. Saleen Martin, USA TODAY, 7 Mar. 2024 Ibogaine is known to induce arrhythmia, or an irregular heartbeat, which in severe cases can lead to fatal cardiac arrest. Andrew Jacobs, New York Times, 5 Mar. 2024 Putting More People On Two Wheels Once there’s agreement that e-bikes are worth supporting for many reasons, the challenge is how to induce more e-bike use and realize those benefits. Christopher R. Cherry, Discover Magazine, 4 Mar. 2024 There are several other beliefs about ways to induce labor: eating spicy foods, dancing, taking a shot of castor oil, and more. Ashley Mateo, Health, 2 Mar. 2024 The drug terminates a pregnancy, while misoprostol, the second medication, induces contractions and expels tissue. Cailey Gleeson, Forbes, 1 Mar. 2024 Beyond the fastball, all three of Cabrera’s secondary pitches induced whiff rates of at least 30 percent last season: His curveball (38 percent), changeup (36.3 percent) and slider (30.6 percent). Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 28 Feb. 2024 Will these changes in leadership and tactics induce hiccups and inconsistent form for the Loons in 2024? Andy Greder, Twin Cities, 23 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'induce.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Anglo-French inducer, from Latin inducere, from in- + ducere to lead — more at tow entry 1

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of induce was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near induce

Cite this Entry

“Induce.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/induce. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

induce

verb
in·​duce in-ˈd(y)üs How to pronounce induce (audio)
induced; inducing
1
: to lead on to do something : persuade
2
: bring about, cause
an illness induced by overwork
3
: to reach (a general conclusion) based on particular facts or examples
4
: to produce (as an electric current) by induction
inducer noun
inducible
-ˈd(y)ü-sə-bəl
adjective

Medical Definition

induce

transitive verb
in·​duce in-ˈd(y)üs How to pronounce induce (audio)
induced; inducing
1
: to cause or bring about
anesthesia induced by drugs
: as
a(1)
: to cause the embryological formation of
the optic cup induces lens tissue in the adjacent ectoderm
(2)
: to cause to form through embryonic induction
induce ectoderm to form a neural tube
b
: to cause or initiate by artificial means
induced abortion
induced labor
2
: to produce anesthesia in
the patient was induced by a mixture of thiopental and curare

More from Merriam-Webster on induce

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