Induction1. (n.) The act or process of inducting or bringing in; introduction; entrance; beginning; commencement.
2. (n.) An introduction or introductory scene, as to a play; a preface; a prologue.
3. (n.) The act or process of reasoning from a part to a whole, from particulars to generals, or from the individual to the universal; also, the result or inference so reached.
4. (n.) The introduction of a clergyman into a benefice, or of an official into a office, with appropriate acts or ceremonies; the giving actual possession of an ecclesiastical living or its temporalities.
5. (n.) A process of demonstration in which a general truth is gathered from an examination of particular cases, one of which is known to be true, the examination being so conducted that each case is made to depend on the preceding one; -- called also successive induction.
6. (n.) The property by which one body, having electrical or magnetic polarity, causes or induces it in another body without direct contact; an impress of electrical or magnetic force or condition from one body on another without actual contact.
Thesaurus Entries
Baconian method, a fortiori reasoning, a posteriori reasoning, a priori reasoning, accedence, acceptance, accession, admission, admittance, alphabet, analysis, apostolic orders, appointment, baptism, basics, call, call-up, calling, canonization, coming out, compulsory military service, conclusion, conferment, conscription, consecration, consequence, consequent, corollary, coronation, curtain raiser, debut, deduction, deductive reasoning, demonstration, derivation, discourse, discourse of reason, discursive reason, draft, draft call, drafting, election, electromagnetic induction, electrostatic induction, elements, embarkation, embarkment, enlistment, enrollment, enthronement, epagoge, first appearance, first principles, first steps, floating, flotation, generalization, grammar, henry, holy orders, hornbook, hypothesis and verification, illation, immission, impressment, inaugural, inaugural address, inauguration, inductance, inductive reasoning, inductivity, inference, initiation, installation, installment, instatement, institution, introduction, intromission, investiture, launching, levy, logical thought, magnetic induction, maiden speech, major orders, minor orders, mobilization, muster, mutual induction, nomination, opener, ordainment, orders, ordination, outlines, particularization, philosophical induction, philosophy, placement, preferment, preliminary, presentation, press, primer, principia, principles, proof, ratiocination, rationalism, rationality, rationalization, rationalizing, reading in, reason, reasonableness, reasoning, recruiting, recruitment, rudiments, selective service, self-induction, sophistry, specious reasoning, summons, sweet reason, syllogism, syllogistic reasoning, synthesis, taking office, unveiling