inducement
Americannoun
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the act of inducing.
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the state of being induced.
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something that induces, motivates, or persuades; incentive.
- Synonyms:
- lure, attraction, incitement, spur, stimulus
noun
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the act of inducing
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a means of inducing; persuasion; incentive
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law (in pleading) the introductory part that leads up to and explains the matter in dispute
Related Words
See motive.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of inducement
Explanation
The act of persuading someone to do something is called inducement. If you're training a dog, you might use food as an inducement to make the dog do what you want. This works with some humans too. The original meaning of the noun inducement came from the Latin verb inducere, meaning "to lead or persuade." Roman philosopher Seneca said, “There is no evil that does not promise inducements. Avarice promises money; luxury, a varied assortment of pleasures; ambition, a purple robe and applause. Vices tempt you by the rewards they offer.” So you can be seduced to bad behavior by some inducements or encouraged to good behavior by others. Would you like a treat?
Vocabulary lists containing inducement
Lead the Way: Duc and Duct
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The Hunger Games
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"A Modest Proposal," Vocabulary from the satire
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
No inducement, it seems, can get him to do this, but Sophocles finds a way to persuade him to go.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 6, 2026
Special housing, whether on a military base, in a palace or sequestered in a guarded compound, is one such reward and inducement.
From Salon • Mar. 24, 2026
Billionaire Bill Ackman has an interesting inducement to get investors to buy a new U.S. closed-end equity fund, but whether it will be enough to attract a sizable number of investors remains to be seen.
From Barron's • Mar. 11, 2026
Ultimately, one suspects Perkins views Liz’s dilemma as little more than an excuse to construct a fun exercise in nightmare inducement that possesses the same craftsmanship that Malcolm clearly put into his swanky cabin.
From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 14, 2025
Mr. Wickham’s chief object was unquestionably my sister’s fortune, which is thirty thousand pounds; but I cannot help supposing that the hope of revenging himself on me was a strong inducement.
From "Pride and Prejudice" by Jane Austen
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
