Definitions Related words Phrases Mentions Lyrics History Colors (New!) Easter eggs (New!)

Literary notes about induce (AI summary)

The word "induce" in literature is employed to signify the act of prompting a reaction or change, often through persuasion or subtle influence. It can describe both physical actions—as in coaxing someone into a behavior or eliciting a thought—and abstract processes, where circumstances or natural laws are said to induce outcomes. In some narratives, a character’s words or gestures serve to induce decisions or emotions, whether persuading another to yield or to act contrary to their inclinations [1], [2], [3]. In contrast, other works use the term to denote natural or systemic causes that bring about inevitable changes, be it in political behavior or scientific results [4], [5], [6]. This dual usage illustrates how authors adapt "induce" to bridge the gap between catalyst and consequence in varied contexts throughout literary history [7], [8].
  1. In such a case I could show you reasons, I think, which would induce you to yield it.' 'Have I the lady's promise for that?' asked the girl.
    — from Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens
  2. No consideration can induce me to marry against my inclinations.
    — from The Tenant of Wildfell Hall by Anne Brontë
  3. He would be very angry if he knew that I have said anything which might induce Sir Henry to go away.
    — from The Hound of the Baskervilles by Arthur Conan Doyle
  4. Since the end of growth is outside of and beyond the process of growing, external agents have to be resorted to to induce movement toward it.
    — from Democracy and Education: An Introduction to the Philosophy of Education by John Dewey
  5. For the most part, the purpose of the criminal law is only to induce external conformity to rule.
    — from The Common Law by Oliver Wendell Holmes
  6. We will now look a little closer at the probable nature of the differences between species which induce sterility in first crosses and in hybrids.
    — from The Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection by Charles Darwin
  7. “He took her by the hand and tried to induce her to kiss him.
    — from A Hero of Our Time by Mikhail Iurevich Lermontov
  8. And it is far easier to induce a nation to part with its money, almost unconsciously, than to reconcile it to sacrifices of men and personal efforts.
    — from Democracy in America — Volume 2 by Alexis de Tocqueville

More usage examples

Also see: Google, News, Images, Wikipedia, Reddit, BlueSky


Home   Reverse Dictionary / Thesaurus   Datamuse   Word games   Spruce   Feedback   Dark mode   Random word   Help


Color thesaurus

Use OneLook to find colors for words and words for colors

See an example

Literary notes

Use OneLook to learn how words are used by great writers

See an example

Word games

Try our innovative vocabulary games

Play Now

Read the latest OneLook newsletter issue: Threepeat Redux