Induction
Etymology
From Latin "inductio" (a leading in), from "inducere" — "in-" (in) plus "ducere" (to lead). Induction leads the mind inward from particular instances toward a general rule; the metaphor is of gathering scattered cases and leading them into one conclusion.
noun · /in-DUK-shun/
Reasoning from specific observations to a general conclusion that they support but do not guarantee.
What it names
How we learn from experience — generalizing from cases — and why such conclusions are always open to revision.
Example
Every swan he had seen was white, so by induction he concluded all swans are white — until Australia produced a black one.
Related idea
Contrast deduction: deduction guarantees its conclusion if the premises hold; induction only makes it probable, since one new observation can overturn it. Science runs largely on induction, which is exactly why its conclusions stay provisional.
noun · /in-DUK-shun/
The generation of an electric current or charge by a changing magnetic field.
What it names
electricity produced by magnetic change
Example
An induction stove heats the pan directly through electromagnetic induction.
Related idea
This induction shares only a name with the reasoning sense: here a changing magnetic field induces a current across a gap without any direct contact, transferring energy rather than inferring a general rule from particular cases.
noun · /in-DUK-shun/
Formal admission or installation into a position, office, or organization.
What it names
a ceremony of entry into a role
Example
His induction into the Hall of Fame drew a crowd.
Related idea
Induction is the formal act of bringing someone in — the entry ceremony that installs them in an office or society, distinct from the tenure that then measures how long they hold the post.