induce

The word “induce” means to persuade or influence someone to do something. In plain terms, to cause something to happen — through persuasion, chemistry, or physics, depending on context.

“Induce” is pronounced ihn-DYOOS (/ɪnˈduːs/ in IPA).

Here is “induce” used in a sentence: “The discount induced many customers to buy in bulk.”

“Induce” is a verb.

The word “induce” comes from Latin. From Middle English enducen, borrowed from Latin inducere ("lead in, bring in"), from in- plus ducere ("to lead").

“Induce” is an uncommon word in modern English, usually learned at around the C2 level.

“Induce” has 4 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: to persuade or influence someone to do something.

Both can mean to influence someone to do something, but "induce" often suggests using incentives, pressure, or circumstances to bring about an action, while "persuade" emphasizes convincing someone through argument or reasoning. "Induce" is also used more broadly to mean causing a state or effect, not just persuading a person.

To "induce" labor means to bring on labor artificially in a pregnant woman, usually with medication, rather than waiting for it to start naturally. This is one specific medical sense of the more general verb "induce."

In physics, "induce" describes generating an electric current or magnetic effect through a nearby changing field, as in "a moving magnet can induce a current in a coil." This technical sense is distinct from the everyday meanings of persuading or causing.