inductive

adjective in·duc·tive \ in-ˈdək-tiv \

Updated on: 3 Apr 2018

1 : leading on : inducing

2 : of, relating to, or employing mathematical or logical induction

inductive reasoning

3 : of or relating to inductance or electrical induction

4 : introductory

5 : involving the action of an embryological organizer : tending to produce induction

—

inductively

adverb

See inductive defined for English-language learners

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Recent Examples of inductive from the Web

This inductive account sounded very logical and sensible.

— naomi fry, The New Yorker, "The Mind-Expanding Ideas of Andy Clark," 26 Mar. 2018
Modern amenities include an available 4G LTE WiFi hotspot, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto capability, inductive cellphone charging, and OnStar connectivty.

— tony markovich, Car and Driver, "2019 Chevrolet Silverado 4500HD / 5500HD / 6500HD: Chassis Cab Flexin'," 9 Mar. 2018
The trade-war stuff that’s going on with Mr. Trump is not necessarily the most inductive to rising stock prices.

— todd rosiak, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Money matters to Brewers pitching prospect Jon Perrin," 6 Mar. 2018
Proponents of inductive charging say the technology’s first application could be for city buses or trucks.

— nathan bomey, USA TODAY, "Thinking of buying an electric vehicle? Here's what you need to know about charging," 25 Jan. 2018
Other available features include a flip-up head-up display and wireless inductive charging for personal electronics.

— bengt halvorson, Car and Driver, "2019 Hyundai Kona Electric Boasts a Big Battery," 28 Feb. 2018
Basic, inductive charging is the more likely of the two outcomes here.

— michael desjardin, USA TODAY, "Here are all the iPhone 8 rumors we know about, including the crazy ones," 1 Sep. 2017
Like other wireless charging tech, Pi uses inductive charging, where a magnetic field produced by Pi triggers a corresponding magnetic field in your device, which generates a charge.

— avery thompson, Popular Mechanics, "Wireless Charging From a Foot Away Could Be a Dream Come True," 20 Sep. 2017
Wireless inductive charging from road to car is already technically feasible, if expensive; that would make sense at taxi ranks when vehicles sit idle, for example.

— The Economist, "An infrastructure for charging electric vehicles takes shape," 7 Sep. 2017

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

First Known Use of inductive

15th century

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

NEW! Time Traveler

Other Logic Terms

a posteriori, connotation, corollary, inference, mutually exclusive, paradox, postulate, syllogism

INDUCTIVE Defined for English Language Learners

inductive

adjective

: using particular examples to reach a general conclusion about something

Medical Dictionary

inductive

adjective in·duc·tive \ in-ˈdək-tiv \

1 : of or relating to inductance or electrical induction

2 : involving the action of an embryological inductor : tending to produce induction

the inductive effect of chordamesoderm

inductive reactions in the embryo

—

inductively

adverb

Learn More about inductive

See words that rhyme with inductive Spanish Central: Translation of inductive Nglish: Translation of inductive for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of inductive for Arabic speakers

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