What does "induce" mean?
To lead by persuasion or influence; incite or prevail upon.
Induce
/ɪnˈduːs/ verb
verb ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: To lead by persuasion or influence; incite or prevail upon.
- Grammar: induce is listed as verb.
- Nearest alternatives: cause, actuate, actuates, actuating.
- Useful contrasts: abducts, deduced, delay sleep.
- Usage evidence: Nothing could induce him to change his mind.
How to use "induce"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "induce" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "induce" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "induce" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "induce" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "induce" is acting as verb in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "cause" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "induce", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Verb
- 1 To lead by persuasion or influence; incite or prevail upon. transitive
"The Celebrity, by arts unknown, induced Mrs. Judge Short and two other ladies to call at Mohair on a certain afternoon when Mr. Cooke was trying a trotter on the track. The three returned wondering and charmed with Mrs. Cooke; they were sure she had had no hand in the furnishing of that atrocious house."
- 2 reason or establish by induction wordnet
- 3 To cause, bring about, lead to. transitive
"His meditation induced a compromise. Opium induces sleep."
- 4 cause to do; cause to act in a specified manner wordnet
- 5 To induce the labour of (a pregnant woman). transitive
"By the time of my third, five months ago, I was a right bossy cow about what I wanted because I knew the drill. For reasons I shan’t bore you with, I got them to induce me at 39 weeks, at 10am, with the epidural going in first, and it was all a dream."
Show 7 more definitions
- 6 cause to arise wordnet
- 7 To cause or produce (electric current or a magnetic state) by a physical process of induction.
"The scientific instruments of the day recorded rapid fluctuations in the Earth's magnetic field, as powerful electrical currents flowed through the upper atmosphere. Ships' logs noted observations of the northern lights as far south as the Caribbean, and telegraph systems across the world were disrupted as electrical currents were induced in the copper lines."
- 8 cause to occur rapidly wordnet
- 9 To infer by induction. transitive
- 10 produce electric current by electrostatic or magnetic processes wordnet
- 11 To lead in, bring in, introduce. obsolete, transitive
- 12 To draw on, place upon. obsolete, transitive
Example
"Nothing could induce him to change his mind."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "induce"?
Common synonyms include: cause, actuate, actuates, actuating, addicted, addicting.
How do you use "induce" in a sentence?
Nothing could induce him to change his mind.
How do you pronounce "induce"?
Pronounced /ɪnˈduːs/.
Etymology
From Middle English enducen, borrowed from Latin indūcere (“lead in, bring in, introduce”), from in + dūcō (“lead, conduct”). Compare also abduce, adduce, conduce, deduce, produce, reduce etc. Doublet of endue.