induce — English Dictionary

Verb

1. To lead by persuasion or influence; incite or prevail upon.

   Usage

   • Transitive

   Synonyms

   enticeinveigleput someone up to something

   Examples

   More examples (1)

   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. To cause, bring about, lead to.

   Usage

   • Transitive

   Synonyms

   bring aboutinstigatepromptstimulatetriggerprovoke

   Examples

   His meditation induced a compromise. Opium induces sleep.

   A mere glance at the plot descriptions of the show’s fourth season is enough to induce Pavlovian giggle fits and shivers of joy.

3. To induce the labour of (a pregnant woman).

   Usage

   • Transitive

   Examples

   More examples (1)

   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.

4. To cause or produce (electric current or a magnetic state) by a physical process of induction.

   Examples

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   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.

5. To infer by induction.

   Usage

   • Transitive

   Antonyms

   deduce

6. To lead in, bring in, introduce.

   Usage

   • Obsolete
   • Transitive

7. To draw on, place upon.

   Usage

   • Obsolete
   • Transitive

Verb

1. cause to arise

   Synonyms

   bring on

   Broader terms

   generatebring forth

   Examples

   induce a crisis

2. cause to do; cause to act in a specified manner

   Synonyms

   stimulatecausehavegetmake

   Broader terms

   actmove

   Examples

   The ads induced me to buy a VCR

   My children finally got me to buy a computer

   More examples (1)

   My wife made me buy a new sofa

3. cause to occur rapidly

   Synonyms

   stimulaterushhasten

   Broader terms

   effecteffectuateset up

   Examples

   the infection precipitated a high fever and allergic reactions

4. reason or establish by induction

   Broader terms

   reasonreason outconclude

5. produce electric current by electrostatic or magnetic processes

   Synonyms

   induct

   Broader terms

   producebring aboutgive rise