implement
Americannoun
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implements
plural
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any article used in some activity, especially an instrument, tool, or utensil.
agricultural implements.
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an article of equipment, as household furniture, clothing, ecclesiastical vestments, or the like.
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a means; agent.
human beings as an implement of divine plan.
verb (used with object)
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implements,
present (3rd person singular)
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implemented,
past participle, past
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implementing
present participle
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to fulfill; perform; carry out.
Once in office, he failed to implement his campaign promises.
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to put into effect according to or by means of a definite plan or procedure.
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Computers. to realize or instantiate (an element in a program), often under certain conditions as specified by the software involved.
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to fill out or supplement.
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to provide with implements.
noun
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a piece of equipment; tool or utensil
gardening implements
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something used to achieve a purpose; agent
verb
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to carry out; put into action; perform
to implement a plan
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archaic to complete, satisfy, or fulfil
Usage
What are other ways to say implement? The word implement broadly refers to any article used in some activity. When should you use this noun over tool, instrument, or utensil? Learn more on Thesaurus.com.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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implementationnoun
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implementernoun
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implementornoun
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nonimplementnoun
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reimplementverb (used with object)
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implementableadjective
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implementaladjective
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nonimplementaladjective
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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implementsimple
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implementssimple
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have implementedperfect
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has implementedperfect
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am implementingprogressive
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are implementingprogressive
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is implementingprogressive
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have been implementingperfect progressive
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has been implementingperfect progressive
Past
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implementedsimple
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had implementedperfect
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was implementingprogressive
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were implementingprogressive
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had been implementingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of implement
First recorded in 1425–75; late Middle English, from Late Latin implēmentum “a filling up,” equivalent to Latin implē(re) “to fill up” ( im- im- 1 + plēre “to fill” ) + -mentum -ment
Explanation
Apply the noun implement when you want to use a fancy word for "tool." A knife and fork are implements for handling food. The noun implement is a very useful word for just about anything you want to describe as a tool or a thing that helps you do something. An implement can be as simple as chimpanzees using a stick to eat ants with or a bulldozer that moves huge amounts of earth in building. The word relates to something that "fills up" a house, as in all sorts of things that allow a house to work properly.
Vocabulary lists containing implement
Essential English Vocabulary, List 1
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"A Retrieved Reformation" by O. Henry
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30 GRE Words Beginning with "I"
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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.
See Examples For:
“The government totally could assert itself and implement safeguards.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 6, 2026
U.S. officials typically only move to penalize banks if they discover a significant failure to implement a sanctions-compliance program and police transactions.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 6, 2026
Senegal confirmed it will implement an "enhanced version" of what is known as the "G20 Common Framework".
From Barron's ● Sep. 3, 2026
Canada has responded to Washington's levies, saying it will implement "dollar for dollar" counter-tariffs.
From BBC ● Sep. 2, 2026
It took time—and continual pressure from reformers—to implement the plan.
From "The 57 Bus" by Dashka Slater
Rising diesel prices tend to be more inflationary than those for gasoline since it is burned by trucks, trains, construction equipment and farming implements, lifting the cost of producing and shipping all manner of goods.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 3, 2026
Early humans often used bone implements to sharpen the cutting edges of handaxes and tools used for butchering animals.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 27, 2026
The NAP should be reviewed every four years to ensure the measures it implements are relevant to the current situation.
From BBC ● Jun. 29, 2026
If he implements pro-market reforms, economic growth will take care of the rest.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 22, 2026
I poked around the foundations, hoping to uncover some old iron implements that I could use.
From "My Side of the Mountain" by Jean Craighead George
Ilya Espino de Marotta, who took over as head of the Panama Canal Authority on Monday, told AFP that further measures may be implemented if the drought does not subside.
From Barron's ● Sep. 7, 2026
That committee proposed more than 100 reforms, a little over half of which, external have reportedly been fully implemented.
From BBC ● Sep. 6, 2026
But the intelligent brain, he said, can be implemented across industries, from healthcare to energy.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 2, 2026
Even if those plans are implemented, many Scottish criminals will still have to serve a greater proportion of their sentence behind bars than those convicted of the same offence in England and Wales.
From BBC ● Sep. 1, 2026
It was only a matter of time before Ava implemented the next stage of her scheme.
From "The Underground Railroad: A Novel" by Colson Whitehead
There is, as you have experienced, a gap between the number of personal-finance courses in high schools and the number of people actually implementing those lessons.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 4, 2026
ChatGPT maker OpenAI said Tuesday it was preparing to release its newest powerful model, known as Astra, after implementing "stronger safeguards" following a rogue cyberattack involving a different AI model.
From Barron's ● Sep. 1, 2026
“That was our pilot program for the L.A. Phil, with the intention of implementing it at the Hollywood Bowl,” Fuentes said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 29, 2026
They are implementing rationing and diverting resources from investments to hold out.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 26, 2026
Which meant Naheed could start implementing her making-amends plan right away.
From "Nine, Ten: A September 11 Story" by Nora Raleigh Baskin
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.
