adduce

American  

[uh-doos, uh-dyoos] / əˈdus, əˈdyus /

verb (used with object)

adduced, adducing

1. to bring forward in argument or as evidence; cite as pertinent or conclusive.

   to adduce reasons in support of a constitutional amendment.

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adduce British  

/ əˈdjuːs, əˈdʌkʃən /

verb

1. (tr) to cite (reasons, examples, etc) as evidence or proof

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Other Word Forms

• adduceable
  adjective
• adducent
  adjective
• adducer
  noun
• adducible
  adjective
• adduction
  noun
• unadduceable
  adjective
• unadduced
  adjective
• unadducible
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of adduce

1610–20; < Latin addūcere to bring into, equivalent to ad- ad- + dūcere to lead

Explanation

When you adduce something, you offer proof in support of an argument. If you’re trying to prove that you didn’t eat the last cookie, you might adduce the fact that your dog’s mouth is covered in cookie crumbs. The word adduce comes from the Latin adducere, which means "to lead or bring along." If you were a lawyer, you might adduce, or bring forth, a witness in order to help your case. You might also adduce a piece of evidence, like a fact, to help with your argument. You might think of the word add to help you remember the definition of adduce: when you adduce something, you are adding to an argument by offering proof.

Example Sentences

It would require a forensic accountant to adduce the amount extracted, but how much did Al Lord make from my payments?

From Salon • Aug. 14, 2021

There are so many Moore characters I could adduce as evidence of the formidable sensitivity and range of this human Stradivarius of an actress.

From Slate • Feb. 23, 2015

Writers in the show’s handsome brochure are at pains to adduce a present-day relevance for Red Decade art.

From The New Yorker • Jan. 19, 2015

And there were few whose relationship with jazz was as meaningful; you can adduce clear relationships between his written and oral phrasing and the playing of John Coltrane, Thelonious Monk, Max Roach and Albert Ayler.

From New York Times • Jan. 17, 2014

This fact having been generally admitted by the profession, it is thought unnecessary to adduce here either the experiments or the arguments which have been accepted as conclusive on this important point.

From A System of Practical Medicine by American Authors, Vol. I Volume 1: Pathology and General Diseases by Various