induce
To succeed in persuading or influencing someone to do something. It also means to bring about or cause a specific physical condition or reaction to happen.
Examples
3 of 5Nothing could induce me to climb that mountain in this weather.
Nothing could persuade me to go up that mountain during this storm.
The government is considering tax cuts to induce more consumer spending.
The government is thinking about lowering taxes to encourage people to spend more money.
You can't induce me to eat that weird-looking soup!
You cannot talk me into eating that strange soup.
Word Family
Memory Tip
Think of the 'in' in 'induce' as 'inviting' something to happen—whether it's inviting a person to act or inviting a physical state like sleep.
Quick Quiz
The doctors decided to ______ labor because the baby was two weeks overdue.
Correct!
The correct answer is: induce
Examples
Nothing could induce me to climb that mountain in this weather.
everydayNothing could persuade me to go up that mountain during this storm.
The government is considering tax cuts to induce more consumer spending.
formalThe government is thinking about lowering taxes to encourage people to spend more money.
You can't induce me to eat that weird-looking soup!
informalYou cannot talk me into eating that strange soup.
The drug was found to induce a state of deep relaxation in the clinical trials.
academicThe medication was shown to cause a state of very deep rest during the scientific tests.
High commissions are used to induce agents to close more deals.
businessLarge payments are used to motivate sales agents to finish more contracts.
Word Family
Common Collocations
Common Phrases
induce a coma
to put a patient into a controlled unconscious state for medical reasons
nothing could induce
used to say that you will absolutely not do something
inducement to stay
an incentive offered to make someone remain in a position
Often Confused With
Deduce means to reach a logical conclusion from evidence, whereas induce means to cause an action or condition.
Produce means to create or manufacture something, while induce specifically means to cause a state or persuade someone.
Usage Notes
In a medical context, it is almost always used to describe starting a biological process. In social contexts, it often implies a level of persuasion that might involve an incentive.
Common Mistakes
Learners often use 'induce' when 'cause' or 'make' would be simpler; 'induce' is better reserved for formal, medical, or specific persuasive contexts.
Memory Tip
Think of the 'in' in 'induce' as 'inviting' something to happen—whether it's inviting a person to act or inviting a physical state like sleep.
Word Origin
From the Latin 'inducere', which means 'to lead in' (in- 'into' + ducere 'to lead').
Grammar Patterns
Cultural Context
The term is most frequently encountered by the general public in the US and UK in the context of medical 'induced labor' during pregnancy.
Quick Quiz
The doctors decided to ______ labor because the baby was two weeks overdue.
Correct!
The correct answer is: induce
Related Vocabulary
Related Words
to
A1Used to indicate the place, person, or thing that someone or something moves toward. It can also mark the recipient of an action or the limit of a range.
and
A1A primary conjunction used to connect words, phrases, or clauses that are grammatically equal. It indicates addition, a sequence of events, or a relationship between two things.
a
A1A word used before a singular noun that is not specific or is being mentioned for the first time. It is used only before words that begin with a consonant sound to indicate one of something.
that
A1This word is a demonstrative pronoun used to indicate a specific person, object, or idea that is further away in space or time from the speaker. It is also used to refer back to something that has already been mentioned or to introduce a clause that identifies something.
I
A1The pronoun 'I' is used by a speaker or writer to refer to themselves as the subject of a verb. It is the first-person singular subject pronoun in English and is always capitalized regardless of its position in a sentence.
for
A1Used to show who is intended to have or use something, or to explain the purpose or reason for an action. It is also frequently used to indicate a specific duration of time.
not
A1A function word used to express negation or denial. It is primarily used to make a sentence or phrase negative, often following an auxiliary verb or the verb 'to be'.
with
A1A preposition used to indicate that people or things are together, in the same place, or performing an action together. It can also describe the instrument used to perform an action or a characteristic that someone or something has.
he
A1A pronoun used to refer to a male person or animal that has already been mentioned or is easily identified. It functions as the subject of a sentence.
you
A1Used to refer to the person or people that the speaker is addressing. It is the second-person pronoun used for both singular and plural subjects and objects.
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