induct

Induct is a verb with several related meanings centered on bringing someone into a group, role, or process. The primary sense is to admit formally into membership or into office; the noun form of the process is induction, and the person who undergoes it is an inductee. The ceremony or procedure is commonly described as an induction ceremony.

Induct is also used in military or public-service contexts to enroll someone into service or into a duty position, often through a formal or legal process. In this sense, to induct a person is to initiate them into a role with a defined set of responsibilities.

In broader usage, induct can mean to bring someone into a new environment or to familiarize them with rules, procedures, or culture, such as inducting a new employee into company practices.

Origin and usage notes: induct comes from Latin inducere meaning “to lead in,” via Old French and English. The term is closely related to induction; whereas induction refers to the process, induct is the verb form describing the action, and inductee denotes the person involved. In science and engineering, induction is the established term for generating an effect by changing magnetic flux; the verb induct is rarely used in this technical sense, with induce or cause used instead for electromagnetic phenomena. See also induction, inductee, induction ceremony.