inductive
in-DUK-tiv
/ɪnˈdʌk.tɪv/
Proceeding from specific empirical observations to formulate general principles or broader theories.
Inductive conclusions are probabilistic—they offer strong likelihood based on observed evidence, but never absolute logical certainty.
The story behind the word. From Latin 'inductivus', derived from 'inducere' (to lead into or bring in), combining 'in-' (in/into) and 'ducere' (to lead). Cicero used it to translate Aristotle's Greek term 'epagoge' (bringing in examples to build an argument). Inductive logic leads individual pieces of evidence into a unifying room.
Word relationships
- inferential: Inferential relates to reaching conclusions through evidence generally, while inductive specifically denotes bottom-up moving from specific instances to broad rules.
- deductive: Deductive reasoning moves top-down from general premises to specific guarantees.
Commonly confused with
- seductive: Seductive means enticing or tempting, completely unrelated to inductive logic.
Word family
- induction (noun): The process of inferring general rules from specific observations.
- inductively (adverb): By drawing general conclusions from specific instances.
- induce (verb): To infer by induction or bring about.
Collocations
- inductive reasoning
- inductive logic
- inductive leap
- inductive generalization
Example sentences
- "By observing thousands of white swans, early European biologists used inductive logic to conclude that all swans were white." Scientific logic
- "Data analytics heavily relies on inductive reasoning, spotting trends in millions of user purchases to predict future behavior." Methodology
Memory hook
INductive logic leads individual INstances INto a general theory. Bottom-up reasoning from specific facts to general rules.
When not to use
Do not confuse with 'deductive', which starts with general principles to yield specific, guaranteed conclusions.
Fun facts
- David Hume famously highlighted the 'Problem of Induction': just because the sun has risen every day in recorded history does not guarantee with absolute logic that it must rise tomorrow.
Related words
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