induction

American  

[in-duhk-shuhn] / ɪnˈdʌk ʃən /

noun

• inductions
  plural

1. the act of inducing, bringing about, or causing.

   induction of the hypnotic state.

2. the act of inducting; introduction; initiation.

3. formal installation in an office, benefice, or the like.

4. Logic.

   1. Also called Baconian method.  any form of reasoning in which the conclusion, though supported by the premises, does not follow from them necessarily.

   2. the process of estimating the validity of observations of part of a class of facts as evidence for a proposition about the whole class.

   3. a conclusion reached by this process.

5. Also called mathematical induction.  Mathematics. a method of proving a given property true for a set of numbers by proving it true for 1 and then true for an arbitrary positive integer by assuming the property true for all previous positive integers and applying the principle of mathematical induction.

6. a presentation or bringing forward, as of facts or evidence.

7. Electricity, Magnetism. the process by which a body having electric or magnetic properties produces magnetism, an electric charge, or an electromotive force in a neighboring body without contact.

8. Embryology. the process or principle by which one part of the embryo influences the differentiation of another part.

9. Biochemistry. the synthesis of an enzyme in response to an increased concentration of its substrate in the cell.

10. an introductory unit in literary work, especially in an early play; prelude or scene independent of the main performance but related to it.

11. Archaic. a preface.

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induction British  

/ ɪnˈdʌkʃən /

noun

1. the act of inducting or state of being inducted

2. the act of inducing

3. (in an internal-combustion engine) the part of the action of a piston by which mixed air and fuel are drawn from the carburettor to the cylinder

4. logic

   1. a process of reasoning, used esp in science, by which a general conclusion is drawn from a set of premises, based mainly on experience or experimental evidence. The conclusion goes beyond the information contained in the premises, and does not follow necessarily from them. Thus an inductive argument may be highly probable, yet lead from true premises to a false conclusion

   2. a conclusion reached by this process of reasoning Compare deduction

5. the process by which electrical or magnetic properties are transferred, without physical contact, from one circuit or body to another See also inductance

6. biology the effect of one tissue, esp an embryonic tissue, on the development of an adjacent tissue

7. biochem the process by which synthesis of an enzyme is stimulated by the presence of its substrate

8. maths logic

   1. a method of proving a proposition that all integers have a property, by first proving that 1 has the property and then that if the integer n has it so has n + 1

   2. the application of recursive rules

9. 1. a formal introduction or entry into an office or position

   2. ( as modifier )

      induction course

      induction period

10. the formal enlistment of a civilian into military service

11. an archaic word for preface

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induction Scientific  

/ ĭn-dŭk′shən /

1. 1. The process of deriving general principles from particular facts or instances.

   2. A conclusion reached by this process.

2. 1. The creation of a voltage difference across a conductive material (such as a coil of wire) by exposing it to a changing magnetic field. Induction is fundamental to hydroelectric power, in which water-powered turbines spin wire coils through strong magnetic fields. It is also the working principle underlying transformers and induction coils.

   2. The generation of an electric current in a conductor, such as a copper wire, by exposing it to the electric field of an electrically charged conductor.

   3. The building up of a net electric charge on a conductive material by separating its charge to create two oppositely charged regions, then bleeding off the charge from one region.

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induction ¹ Cultural  

1. A process of reasoning that moves from specific instances to predict general principles. (Compare deduction.)

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induction ² Cultural  

1. An effect in electrical systems in which electrical currents (see also current) store energy temporarily in magnetic fields before that energy is returned to the circuit.

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• preinduction
  noun
• reinduction
  noun
• anti-induction
  adjective
• inductional
  adjective
• inductionless
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• inductions
  plural

Etymology

Origin of induction

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English induccio(u)n, from Latin inductiōn-, stem of inductiō “admission, bringing in, introduction”; equivalent to induct + -ion

Explanation

After a baseball player's induction into the Baseball Hall of Fame, his name remains on the wall there for life. Induction is something that begins a process or a series of events. In college, you rush a fraternity, become a pledge, and then receive a pin at the induction ceremony. The word has a meaning in an electrical context as well. When two wires touch each other, they conduct electricity. When the current passes wirelessly between two conductors, it's called induction.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

induction inductions

"It really upends a theory that says that symbolic rule induction is not possible without linguistic capacities," says Kean.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 11, 2026

Kent won’t say yet because he plans to answer that question Sunday afternoon during his induction speech in Cooperstown.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 26, 2026

Now he enjoys trying out seafood recipes on his new induction range.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 17, 2026

Bonilla had shared time at third base with Beltre, who struggled as a rookie but exhibited the potential that resulted in a 21-year career and first-ballot Hall of Fame induction in 2024.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 1, 2026

The pod wrapped around the cable without breaking it and detected the signals through a process called induction.

From "Spies: The Secret Showdown Between America and Russia" by Marc Favreau

Like the rest of the UK, Scotland has seen an increase in Caesarean sections, inductions of labour, serious tears during childbirth and the proportion of babies born in poorer health.

From BBC ● Oct. 27, 2025

With the inductions concluded, Dion performed his signature hit “The Wanderer,” while Love brought the house down with “River Deep Mountain High.”

From Salon ● Apr. 25, 2024

Stone didn’t get the elaborate, celebrity-stocked welcome that sometimes accompanies these inductions.

From New York Times ● Dec. 3, 2023

Close behind was walking through the museum in Cooperstown, N.Y., with an awe-struck Dave Niehaus and his wife, Marilyn, the day before he received the Frick Award at the Hall of Fame inductions.

From Seattle Times ● Nov. 10, 2023

They form the negative instances which serve to corroborate our positive inductions.

From Hegel's Philosophy of Mind by Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel

Related Words

• inauguration
• introduction