induce

[ in-doos, -dyoos ]
See synonyms for: induceinducedinducinginducible on Thesaurus.com

verb (used with object),in·duced, in·duc·ing.
  1. to lead or move by persuasion or influence, as to some action or state of mind: to induce a person to buy a raffle ticket.

  2. to bring about, produce, or cause: That medicine will induce sleep.

  1. Physics. to produce (an electric current) by induction.

  2. Logic. to assert or establish (a proposition about a class of phenomena) on the basis of observations on a number of particular facts.

  3. Genetics. to increase expression of (a gene) by inactivating a negative control system or activating a positive control system; derepress.

  4. Biochemistry. to stimulate the synthesis of (a protein, especially an enzyme) by increasing gene transcription.

Origin of induce

1
First recorded in 1325–75; Middle English, from Latin indūcere “to lead or bring in, introduce,” equivalent to in- in-2 + dūcere “to lead”; cf. adduce, deduce, reduce

synonym study For induce

1. See persuade.

Other words for induce

Opposites for induce

Other words from induce

  • in·duc·i·ble, adjective
  • non·in·duc·i·ble, adjective
  • pre·in·duce, verb (used with object), pre·in·duced, pre·in·duc·ing.
  • re·in·duce, verb (used with object), re·in·duced, re·in·duc·ing.
  • un·in·duc·i·ble, adjective

Words that may be confused with induce

Words Nearby induce

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use induce in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for induce

induce

/ (ɪnˈdjuːs) /


verb(tr)
  1. (often foll by an infinitive) to persuade or use influence on

  2. to cause or bring about

  1. med to initiate or hasten (labour), as by administering a drug to stimulate uterine contractions

  2. logic obsolete to assert or establish (a general proposition, hypothesis, etc) by induction

  3. to produce (an electromotive force or electrical current) by induction

  4. to transmit (magnetism) by induction

Origin of induce

1
C14: from Latin indūcere to lead in, from dūcere to lead

Derived forms of induce

  • inducer, noun
  • inducible, adjective

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012