induced
induced — verb
1. to persuade or influence someone to do something, especially by offering reasons
to persuade or influence someone to do something, especially by offering reasons or appealing to their wishes — for example, inducing a friend to change their mind by laying out the benefits of a different plan.
The doctor induced Wei to begin the treatment by explaining the test results clearly.
induce + person + to-infinitive for persuasion
Nothing could induce Lucia to eat seafood after her bad experience years ago.
A generous scholarship induced Diego to study abroad instead of enrolling at the local university.
The manager tried to induce Dan to accept the transfer by offering a pay rise.
- dissuade
to persuade someone NOT to do something
- discourage
to make someone less willing to act
文法句型
induce + person + to-infinitive
用法筆記
Frequently used in the pattern 'induce + object + to-infinitive'. More formal than 'persuade' or 'convince' and often implies a strategic or reasoned approach rather than emotional appeal.
常見錯誤
2. to cause something to happen or come into existence, especially a physical effec
to cause something to happen or come into existence, especially a physical effect, a change, or a reaction — for example, a drug that induces deep sleep, or stress that induces headaches.
Stress can induce headaches and other physical problems if left untreated.
induce + physical symptom (cause-effect)
The city council's new zoning policy induced a sharp rise in housing prices in the downtown area.
induce + economic effect (concrete agent)
Lack of sleep induced feelings of anxiety and irritability in Samir during exam week.
Keiko's medicine induced a mild allergic reaction that went away within hours.
Low doses of caffeine induced measurable improvements in reaction time among the study participants.
- cause
neutral, everyday term; 'induce' is more formal
- bring about
slightly formal; emphasises active effort
- trigger
suggests a sudden or immediate cause
- produce
neutral; focuses on the resulting outcome
文法句型
induce + noun phrase (effect/result)
用法筆記
The object is usually an effect, reaction, or state (not a person). More formal than 'cause' in everyday conversation. Very common in medical, scientific, and economic writing.
常見錯誤
3. to deliberately start a biological, medical, or chemical process through active
to deliberately start a biological, medical, or chemical process through active human intervention, using artificial methods rather than allowing natural onset — the key contrast with sense 2 is that the cause here is always a person or a procedure, not an impersonal force; for example, a doctor inducing labour or an anaesthetist inducing unconsciousness before surgery.
The doctors decided to induce labour because Nadia's pregnancy had passed the due date.
induce labour — fixed medical collocation
The chemist induced crystallization in the sugar solution by adding a single seed crystal to the clear liquid.
induce + specific chemical process (controlled intervention)
The anaesthetist induced unconsciousness before Andre's operation began.
Farmers can induce flowering in plants by adjusting the daily amount of light they receive.
文法句型
induce + noun (medical/scientific procedure)
用法筆記
Subject is usually a medical professional or scientist. 'Induce labour' and 'induce a coma' are fixed medical collocations. The agent (doctor, drug, procedure) is deliberately causing the process.
常見錯誤
4. to derive a general principle or rule from specific examples (reasoning), or to
to derive a general principle or rule from specific examples (reasoning), or to create an electric current or magnetic effect in an object without direct contact (physics) — for example, inducing a mathematical formula from repeated test data, or a moving magnet inducing voltage in a nearby coil.
From hundreds of test results, the researchers induced a general law about gas behaviour.
induce + general law/principle (scientific reasoning)
A moving magnetic field induces an electric current in a nearby copper wire.
induce + electric current (physical induction)
Linguists induced the grammar rules by examining thousands of spoken sentences.
The mathematician induced a formula that worked for every case she tested.
- infer
reach a conclusion from evidence; more everyday term
- deduce
reason from general principles to specific conclusions
- extrapolate
extend known data to unknown cases; formal
文法句型
induce + noun (general principle / current)
用法筆記
Used in scientific, mathematical, and philosophical contexts. The electromagnetic sense (inducing current/voltage) is a distinct technical domain. This sense is rare in everyday language; 'infer' or 'deduce' are more common alternatives for the reasoning meaning.