Induction
noun /ɪnˈdʌkʃən/ — Reasoning from specific to general — building a principle from observed cases.
Definition
The inference of a general law from particular instances; the process of inducting someone into a role; the generation of an electric current by changing magnetic fields.
Beyond the definition
Induction is the scientist's core method — from many observations, a general principle. It is more tentative than deduction: the inductive conclusion is always provisional, waiting for the next observation that might overturn it. Science is inherently humble in this way.
Origin & history
From Latin inductio — a leading in (from inducere: to lead in, from in: in + ducere: to lead). Leading in — induction as the movement inward from particular cases to the general principle.
Example sentences
Illustrative sentences for learning, not verified community posts or sourced quotations.
From one hundred interviews, the induction: people overestimate their own contribution to shared success.
The induction was elegant — she'd built the principle from enough cases that it held.
Induction cannot prove; it can only make more probable. Hume understood this to be philosophy's hard problem.
How to use it
This entry uses a noun. Follow the examples for articles and singular or plural forms; not every noun takes “a” or “an.”
Choose “Induction” when the meaning fits your context: The inference of a general law from particular instances; the process of inducting someone into a role; the generation of an electric current by changing magnetic fields.
Synonyms
generalization, inference, reasoning, abstraction
Antonyms
deduction, specification
Related words
Induction vs deduction
Induction reasons *upward* from specific observations to a general principle — the scientific method, always provisional. Deduction applies a general rule *downward* to reach a specific conclusion — the logical method, certain if the premise holds. Sherlock Holmes claimed to use deduction but usually used induction: he observed particulars and built a theory. Science runs on induction; mathematics runs on deduction.
Word in the Wild
See how this word appears in life, language and stories.
Illustrative sentences and imagined stories for learning — not verified sightings, interviews, or sourced quotations.
Fictional scene
Learning from Geological Specimens
A naturalist’s desk is arranged with varied rocks, a fossil, and quartz crystals, with a cutaway cliff showing strata in the background.
The study of these varied geological specimens represents induction, as the naturalist infers general laws about the earth's history from these specific, individual instances. By observing the patterns in each rock, they build a broader, general understanding of the geological environment.
Image credit: Wordspun · AI-generated conceptual illustration
Questions about this word
What does "Induction" mean?
Induction is noun meaning: Reasoning from specific to general — building a principle from observed cases.. The inference of a general law from particular instances; the process of inducting someone into a role; the generation of an electric current by changing magnetic fields.
Where does the word "Induction" come from?
From Latin inductio — a leading in (from inducere: to lead in, from in: in + ducere: to lead). Leading in — induction as the movement inward from particular cases to the general principle.