implicitly

American  

[im-plis-it-lee] / ɪmˈplɪs ɪt li /

adverb

1. without actually saying so; in a way that does not use words.

   Consumers buying the company’s products are implicitly accepting its practices.

2. without question or reservation; absolutely.

   I trusted her implicitly and listened intently to everything she said.

3. as an inherent but hidden part of the way things are; latently.

   The threat of violence against women is implicitly present all around us, everywhere.

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Other Word Forms

• unimplicitly
  adverb

Etymology

Origin of implicitly

implicit ( def. ) + -ly

Explanation

When you express something indirectly, you say it implicitly. Your sister might implicitly suggest that you're the one who ate the last cookie by glaring at you then looking at the empty plate. When you communicate something implicitly, you don't say it directly. Instead, you might drop hints or let your actions express it, like when a teacher doesn't stop a kid from bullying another, which implicitly says it's okay to bully. Implicitly can also be a synonym for absolutely — you trust your best friend implicitly: completely, without any reservations.

Example Sentences

Implicitly, he is saying, with the help of the rest of the G7, he will step up.

From BBC • Apr. 29, 2025

"Implicitly it also means that the Fed might not be so quick to cut rates next year either," he said.

From Reuters • Oct. 2, 2023

Implicitly, she asks, will this be the time they collectively face these challenges with empathy?

From New York Times • Jul. 12, 2023

Implicitly, he answers his question: “Were these wars worth it?” with a resounding: “No!”

From Seattle Times • Nov. 16, 2022

Implicitly, he was saying that God might be rather like a clockmaker.

From "The Invention of Science" by David Wootton

Related Words

• essentially