# induced

/ˌɪnˈdust/ (US) · /ɪndjˈuːst/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/induced
Updated: 2026-06-19

## Senses

### 1. to cause a reaction

verb · CEFR C1 · Academic

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

For teachers: to have brought about or given rise to a specific psychological or physiological state.

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

verb · CEFR C1 · Technical

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

For teachers: to have initiated the process of childbirth through the administration of drugs or other medical interventions.

- The doctors decided she should be induced because the baby was two weeks late.
- 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. brought about by something

adjective · CEFR C1 · Technical · Academic

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

For teachers: produced by influence or external stimulation rather than occurring spontaneously.

- The drug-induced coma helped his brain recover after the accident.
- The study focused on stress-induced insomnia among healthcare workers during the peak of the winter flu season.

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

## Examples

- The doctor induced sleep with a mild sedative.
- The medication was so strong that it induced a state of deep relaxation within minutes.
- Economic analysts argue that the sudden shift in interest rates induced a period of market volatility that caught many institutional investors off guard.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.