Synonyms

implicate

American

[im-pli-keyt] / ˈɪm plɪˌkeɪt /

verb (used with object)

to show to be also involved, usually in an incriminating manner.

to be implicated in a crime.
to imply as a necessary circumstance, or as something to be inferred or understood.
to connect or relate to intimately; affect as a consequence.

The malfunctioning of one part of the nervous system implicates another part.
Archaic. to fold or twist together; intertwine; interlace.

implicate British

/ ˈɪmplɪˌkeɪt, ɪmˈplɪkətɪv /

verb

to show to be involved, esp in a crime
to involve as a necessary inference; imply

his protest implicated censure by the authorities
to affect intimately

this news implicates my decision
rare to intertwine or entangle

"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

Synonym Usage

See involve.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

Inflected Forms

Participles

Conjugated Forms

Present

Past

Future

Etymology

Origin of implicate

First recorded in 1530–40; from Latin implicātus, past participle of implicāre “to interweave,” equivalent to im- im- ¹ + plicā(re) “to fold” + -ātus -ate ¹; see ply ²

Explanation

The verb implicate means "to connect or involve in something." For example, your cousins might implicate you in the planning of a big party for your grandparents. Implicate comes from the Latin word implicare, meaning "to entwine, involve." When you implicate someone, you bring him or her into a group or to pitch in on a project. Implicate can have criminal connotations when it means "to connect in an incriminating manner," like when detectives figure out who drove the getaway car in the bank robbery — that person will be implicated for his or her role in the crime.

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Vocabulary lists containing implicate

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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.

But the governor's former chief of staff and a longtime California political operative, Dana Williamson, pleaded guilty to federal charges in May over a campaign finance fraud scheme that did not implicate Newsom.

From BBC • Jun. 15, 2026

“For the first time in this litigation, the government argues that civil detention ‘does not implicate any fundamental rights’ and so the Due Process Clause affords the detained men no protections—substantive or procedural,” they wrote.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 15, 2026

Colorado argued that its statute does not meaningfully implicate the First Amendment because it regulates conduct and only incidentally burdens speech.

From Slate • Mar. 31, 2026

The 49-year-old has vowed to implicate officials in the current government in the case.

From Barron's • Mar. 20, 2026

The only physical evidence to implicate Joe was a latent partial palm-print that the state's examiner testified matched him.

From "Just Mercy" by Bryan Stevenson

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