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Synonyms

inference

American  
[in-fer-uhns, -fruhns] / ˈɪn fər əns, -frəns /

noun

  1. the act or process of inferring.

  2. something that is inferred.

    to make rash inferences.

  3. Logic.

    1. the process of deriving the strict logical consequences of assumed premises.

    2. the process of arriving at some conclusion that, though it is not logically derivable from the assumed premises, possesses some degree of probability relative to the premises.

    3. a proposition reached by a process of inference.

inference British  
/ ˈɪnfərəns, -frəns /

noun

  1. the act or process of inferring

  2. an inferred conclusion, deduction, etc

  3. any process of reasoning from premises to a conclusion

  4. logic the specific mode of reasoning used See also deduction induction

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
inference Cultural  

  1. In logic, the deriving of one idea from another. Inference can proceed through either induction or deduction.

inference Idioms  

  1. see draw an inference.

Other Word Forms

  • misinference noun
  • preinference noun
  • superinference noun

Etymology

Origin of inference

From the Medieval Latin word inferentia, dating back to 1585–95. See infer, -ence

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The new contract will enable Meta to ramp up inference workloads against the backdrop of “surging demand” for compute, according to a press release.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 9, 2026

In today’s information environment, that kind of inference happens constantly and in public.

From Salon • Apr. 8, 2026

OpenAI expects its costs for training and inference, the latter refers to the process by which AI models respond to user queries, to exceed its revenue until 2029.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 7, 2026

“We are… constructive on CPU demand as the industry moves to inference and agentic AI which need more CPUs,” Citi’s Atif Malik wrote in a research note.

From Barron's • Apr. 6, 2026

That’s why settlements, and by inference tribes, began to proliferate in the Fertile Crescent at that time, when climate changes and improved technology combined to permit abundant harvests of wild cereals.

From "Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies" by Jared M. Diamond

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.