inducement

as in convincing
the act of reasoning or pleading with someone to accept a belief or course of action gave up smoking only after a prolonged inducement by all the other family members

Synonyms & Similar Words

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How does the noun inducement contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of inducement are goad, impulse, incentive, motive, and spur. While all these words mean "a stimulus to action," inducement suggests a motive prompted by the deliberate enticements or allurements of another.

offered a watch as an inducement to subscribe

When could goad be used to replace inducement?

While in some cases nearly identical to inducement, goad suggests a motive that keeps one going against one's will or desire.

thought insecurity a goad to worker efficiency

When can impulse be used instead of inducement?

The words impulse and inducement can be used in similar contexts, but impulse suggests a driving power arising from personal temperament or constitution.

buying on impulse

When is incentive a more appropriate choice than inducement?

The meanings of incentive and inducement largely overlap; however, incentive applies to an external influence (such as an expected reward) inciting to action.

a bonus was offered as an incentive

When would motive be a good substitute for inducement?

The words motive and inducement are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, motive implies an emotion or desire operating on the will and causing it to act.

a motive for the crime

When might spur be a better fit than inducement?

In some situations, the words spur and inducement are roughly equivalent. However, spur applies to a motive that stimulates the faculties or increases energy or ardor.

fear was a spur to action

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of inducement The material contained on this site is intended to inform, entertain and educate the reader and in no way represents an inducement to gamble legally or illegally or any sort of professional advice. Stephanie Kuzydym, Louisville Courier Journal, 11 Sep. 2025 The material contained on this site is intended to inform, entertain and educate the reader and in no way represents an inducement to gamble legally or illegally or any sort of professional advice. Stephanie Kuzydym, The Courier-Journal, 3 Sep. 2025 The material contained on this site is intended to inform, entertain and educate the reader and in no way represents an inducement to gamble legally or illegally or any sort of professional advice. Ethan Hylton, IndyStar, 20 Aug. 2025 Trinity Broadcasting accused McGraw and Peteski of fraudulent inducement and breach of contract. Todd Spangler, Variety, 19 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for inducement
Recent Examples of Synonyms for inducement
Noun
  • During a two-point conversion play, Jennings caught the ball in the endzone, but was smashed between two Jaguars defenders.
    James Brizuela, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 Sep. 2025
  • Their power play, with him as a main component, was below-average in both conversion rate and chance generation.
    The Athletic NHL, New York Times, 29 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • Her education was a synthesis of Classical and Romantic, with the Scottish grounding in logic, reason and intellectual persuasion given a fillip by the improvisations of Miss Christina Kay.
    Frances Wilson September 23, Literary Hub, 23 Sep. 2025
  • Brooks’s core message is that the most successful people are not the most forceful, but the most effective communicators who prioritize connection over persuasion.
    Preston Fore, Fortune, 22 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • But Putin cannot have needed much persuading to agree to a formal invitation to the US to have the bilateral meeting his team have long held out as the way towards peace in Ukraine.
    Nick Paton Walsh, CNN Money, 9 Aug. 2025
  • In the framework of conversational intelligence, most workplace communication falls into Level 1 (telling) or Level 2 (persuading).
    Susan Curtin, Forbes.com, 5 Aug. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Inducement.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/inducement. Accessed 2 Oct. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on inducement

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