English Reference
verb · adjective

induced

v. · adj.
US /ˌɪnˈdust/ UK /ɪndjˈuːst/ in·duced

  1. 01 C1 Advanced Academic

    v.to have caused a specific feeling, state, or physical reaction in someone.

    v.to have brought about or given rise to a specific psychological or physiological state.

    Simple

    The medicine induced a deep sleep that lasted for several hours.

    In context

    The researchers observed that the specific chemical compound induced a rapid stress response in the test subjects, confirming their initial hypothesis.

    Usage

    Often used in scientific or formal contexts to describe cause-and-effect relationships.

  2. 02 C1 Advanced Technical Medicine

    v.to have used medicine to start the process of giving birth.

    v.to have initiated the process of childbirth through the administration of drugs or other medical interventions.

    Simple

    The doctors decided she should be induced because the baby was two weeks late.

    In context

    Because the patient's blood pressure remained dangerously high, the medical team induced labor to ensure the safety of both mother and child.

    Usage

    Commonly used in the passive voice ('was induced').

  3. 03 C1 Advanced TechnicalAcademic Science

    adj.describing something that was caused by an outside force rather than happening naturally.

    adj.produced by influence or external stimulation rather than occurring spontaneously.

    Simple

    The drug-induced coma helped his brain recover after the accident.

    In context

    The study focused on stress-induced insomnia among healthcare workers during the peak of the winter flu season.

    Teacher's tip

    This sense is very common in hyphenated compound adjectives like 'stress-induced' or 'chemically-induced'.

In a recent Science study, they induced a hibernation-like state in mice, which basically erased the state of more than half of their synapses.

Ars Technica· 22 Aug 2026

The researchers first induced rod-shaped molecules to self-assemble into microscopic pinwheel-like structures.

Phys.org· 14 Aug 2026
This entry
Level C1 · Advanced
Frequency Common
Updated