infer deduce induce

[Tedwonny]

I can't really distinguish the above three words. THey look very similar to me. Could someone please help out aside from directing me to dictionaries.

Thanks

 

[5jj]

As 'induce' has the idea of 'persuade', its meaning is never similar to that of 'deduce' or 'infer'. Which part of the definitions confuses you?

http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/induce_1
deduce verb - definition in British English Dictionary & Thesaurus - Cambridge Dictionary Online
infer verb - definition in British English Dictionary & Thesaurus - Cambridge Dictionary Online

 

[Rover_KE]

Could someone please help out aside from directing me to dictionaries.

That's what dictionaries are for.

Rover

 

[Tedwonny]

infer: to form an opinion or guess that something is true because of the information that you have
deduce: to reach an answer or a decision by thinking carefully about the known facts

both = reach something from some facts/information

so they are more or less the same?

 

[5jj]

infer: to form an opinion or guess ...
deduce: to reach an answer or a decision ...

Very crudely, if you 'infer' something, you guess it; if you 'deduce' it, you calculate it.

Depending on one's faith in one's own mental abilities, one may well use 'deduce' when 'infer' might be more appropriate.

 

[Barb_D]

In practice, we often use "infer" to refer to drawing meaning from what someone said (or didn't say).
I would probably not use "infer" from facts I read as readily as I would use "deduce." On the other hand, if someone was saying something without out-and-out saying it, I would "infer" that message.

 

[BobK]

I can't really distinguish the above three words. THey look very similar to me. Could someone please help out aside from directing me to dictionaries.

Thanks

Your difficulty may arise from the facts that many users confuse 'infer' and 'imply', and 'induce' has several possible meanings. The first confusion is so common that I'm afraid many people argue (to put it mildly; the 'argument' is usually a rant - for some reason the letters 'RK' spring to mind;-)) that it's not a 'confusion' at all.

b

 

[5jj]

There is also the point that while ‘induce’ is not commonly used in meaning 3 in everyday conversation, some people do confuse deduction/deductive and induction/inductive.

 

[BobK]

As do I. I just avoid using either to hide my ign... doh! rumbled... ;-)

b