verb
induce
ihn-DYOOS
verb
1
To persuade or influence someone to do something.
"The discount induced many customers to buy in bulk."
2
To cause or bring about a particular state or effect.
"The medication can induce drowsiness."
"Stress can induce headaches in some people."
3
To bring on labor artificially in a pregnant woman, usually with medication.
"The doctors decided to induce labor two weeks early."
4
To generate an electric current or magnetic effect through a nearby changing field.
"The moving magnet induces a current in the coil."
How to Use Induce
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishTo cause something to happen — through persuasion, chemistry, or physics, depending on context.
Common pairings
induce labor
induce sleep
induce a current
Word Forms
induced past tense, induces singular
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Etymology
From Middle English enducen, borrowed from Latin inducere ("lead in, bring in"), from in- plus ducere ("to lead").