A Dictionary of Cont..

indorse 242
the preferred form when the word is used to
qualify anything except a noun, as in he stayed
indoors. But this distinction is not strictly
observed.
indorse. See endorse.
indubitably. See undoubtedly.
induce. This word may be followed by an infinitive,
as in we induced them to go, but not by
the -ing form of a verb or by a clause. See also
impel.
inducement. See motive.
induction; deduction. When these two nouns are
used to describe reasoning processes they are
often confused. Actually, the processes they
describe are of opposite kinds. Deduction
means applying a general statement or assumption,
whether true or false, to a particular case
(My deduction is that since all men die and I
am a man I will die). Induction means arriving
at a general principle on the basis of probabilities
suggested by experiment with and observation
of a number of individual cases (The
essence of induction is inferring the general
from the particular, the unknown from the
known).
indulge in; engage in. To indulge in something
suggests an undisciplined satisfaction of improper
or harmful desires (As a sailor he had
indulged in all the excesses available to men of
that calling). Engage has no such overtone of
disapproval. It simply means to occupy oneself,
to become involved (He engaged in business as
soon as he had finished college). One engages
in speech but indulges in rhetoric, engages in
discussion but indulges in gossip, and so on.
The attitude of the speaker towards the activity
alluded to is often indicated by the word chosen
to describe it and sometimes, for humorous
effect, the words may be switched around (He
was for many years engaged in petty larceny.
He indulged himself in all manner of charitable
activities, especially those concerned with the
rehabilitation of fallen women), but the shock
upon which such humorous inversion depends
is based on the proper meaning of the word
being clear in the reader’s mind.
industrial; industrious. Zndustrial means of or
pertaining to, or of the nature of, or resulting
from, industry or the productive arts (His
father thought that a course in industrial engineering
would be a good preparation for
him. The industrial world is little concerned
with theories that have no immediate application).
Industrious means hard-working, diligent
(Zf you are industrious you can finish the job
before dark).
inebriated. See drunk.
ineffable. See unspeakable.
ineffective; ineffectual. When applied to persons,
usage has established a difference between ineflective
and ineffectual. An ineffective person
is an inefficient person, but he may be inefficient
in the one situation alone. An ineffectual
person is a futile person, powerless, impotent,
and inefficient in all situations.
hrehrstic; unelastic. In England either of these
words may be used to signify not elastic, lacking
elasticity, unyielding, though inelastic is preferred,
especially in figurative uses (He had a
maddeningly inelastic mind). In the United
States inelastic only is used, in all senses.
inept. See inapt.
inexecrable. See execrable.
inexpensive. See cheap.
inexperienced. See unsophisticated.
inexplicable; inexplainable; unexplainable. All
three of these adjectives mean not explainable,
incapable of being explained or interpreted. Znexplicable
is the most learned term (The nature
of reality remains an inexplicable mystery). Znexplainable
and unexplainable have little to
choose between them. American usage tends to
favor unexplainable, but all three words are a
little cumbrous and most people wisely avoid
them and express the thought in some such
phrase as something Z can’t understand or Z
can’t explain it or nobody can explain it.
infant; child; baby. An infant, in the general
usage of the word, is a child during the earliest
period of its life when it is still being carried
about, “a babe in arms.” Infant and baby in
current American usage are synonymous,
though baby is the everyday word and infant
would seem formal or a little archaic. A child
is a baby or an infant but in general use it
applies to persons below the age of puberty and
since baby is generally used of the very young,
a child commonly designates someone anywhere
between weaning and puberty. In law an
infant is a minor, a person under twenty-one,
and a child is any descendant, regardless of
age. Baby is not recognized in the law as designating
a category.
infantile; childish; childlike; puerile ; boyish ;
girlish. All of these words mean characteristic
of or befitting the young. But some things that
are characteristic of the young are admirable
and charming and some are annoying. And
what is befitting a child may be contemptible in
an adult. Each of the words has acquired a set
of connotations that makes it not quite synonymous
with any of the others.
Though infantile still means that which pertains
to an infant (infantile diseases, the helplessness
of the infantile state), it is most generally
used in contempt of adult expressions or
actions which are, in the opinion of the speaker
or writer, more suitable to a small child than
to an adult (Such endless talk of what he is
going to do is infantile and infuriating. Guests
are embarrassed to be ofiered these infantile
diversions).
Childish, like infantile, can be used without
any implication of disapproval (His big manly
voice,/ Turning again toward childish treble),
but for the most part it is used to designate the
improper or silly manifestation in an adult of
something which would be proper only in a
child (The unmarried are driven by boredom
to childish amusements or vicious delights To
attach importance to a low-numbered license
plate is childish. But when Z became a man, Z
put away childish things).
Childlike is used almost always in a good