Inductive reasoning, also known as induction or inductive logic, is a kind of reasoning that constructs or evaluates inductive arguments. The premises of an inductive logical argument indicate some degree of support (inductive probability) for the conclusion but do not entail it; that is, they suggest truth but do not ensure it.
Induction is employed, for example, in the following argument:
- Every life form we know of depends on liquid water to exist.
- All life depends on liquid water to exist.
Inductive reasoning allows for the possibility that the conclusion is false, even where all of the premises are true.[1] For example:
- All of the swans we have seen are white.
- All swans are white.
Note that this definition of inductive reasoning excludes mathematical induction, which is considered to be a form of deductive reasoning.
Though many dictionaries define inductive reasoning as reasoning that derives general principles from specific observations, this usage is outdated
