induce

in·duce | \ in-ˈdüs

How to pronounce induce (audio)

, -ˈdyüs \

induced; inducing

Definition of induce

transitive verb

1a : to move by persuasion or influence

b : to call forth or bring about by influence or stimulation

2a : effect, cause

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

Synonyms Did You Know? Example Sentences Learn More about induce

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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 Luzardo then threw a 97 mph fastball to induce a double play by Josh Reddick and hit 99 mph on a full-count fastball to Alex Bregman for an inning-ending groundout. — Matt Kawahara, SFChronicle.com, "Jesús Luzardo earns first major-league win as A’s sweep Astros," 9 Aug. 2020 Those are low-percentage looks that defenses want to induce from Holiday. — J. Michael, The Indianapolis Star, "'Little' Aaron Holiday plays big down stretch in Pacers' restart opening win," 2 Aug. 2020 Most inject small amounts of live or dead virus to induce an immune response. — Anna Kuchment, Dallas News, "COVID-19 vaccine trials are underway in Dallas-Fort Worth," 31 July 2020 The affected 737 models have a compressor stage valve that sticks open and can induce stalling. — Caroline Delbert, Popular Mechanics, "All Those Jets Stuck in Storage Could Experience Engine Failure," 27 July 2020 The dose would have been sufficient to spark an infection and induce the production of antibodies, but low enough to significantly reduce the risk of death. — Cody Cassidy, Wired, "Who Discovered the First Vaccine?," 8 June 2020 To induce estrus in the female, the male squirts her with urine, a few drops at a time. — Patricia Edmonds, National Geographic, "Prickly porcupines mate without hurting each other. Here’s how.," 2 July 2020 To induce his mice to detect artificial scents, Chong had to be much more precise. — Grace Huckins, Wired, "Scientists Taught Mice to Smell an Odor That Doesn’t Exist," 25 June 2020 Emperor Dom Pedro II, a fierce advocate of the South during the war, tried to induce their immigration, offering free transport, cheap land and an easy path to citizenship. — Washington Post, "They lost the Civil War and fled to Brazil. Their descendants refuse to take down the Confederate flag.," 11 July 2020

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'induce.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Dictionary Entries near induce

induced development

Statistics for induce

Last Updated

12 Aug 2020

Cite this Entry

“Induce.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/induce. Accessed 22 Aug. 2020.

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More Definitions for induce

induce

verb

English Language Learners Definition of induce

somewhat formal : to cause (someone or something) to do something

: to cause (something) to happen or exist

medical : to give (a pregnant woman) special medicine in order to make her give birth : to cause (labor or birth) to begin by giving special drugs to a pregnant woman

See the full definition for induce in the English Language Learners Dictionary

induce

in·duce | \ in-ˈdüs

, -ˈdyüs \

induced; inducing

Kids Definition of induce

1 : to cause to do something Her pleas induced us to give.

2 : to bring about Warm milk induces sleepiness.

3 : to produce (as an electric current) by induction

induce

transitive verb

in·duce | \ in-ˈd(y)üs

\

induced; inducing

Medical Definition of induce

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

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