implication

American  

[im-pli-key-shuhn] / ˌɪm plɪˈkeɪ ʃən /

noun

1. something implied or suggested as naturally to be inferred or understood.

   to resent an implication of dishonesty.

2. the act of implying.

   His implication of immediate changes surprised us.

3. the state of being implied.

   to know only by implication.

4. Logic. the relation that holds between two propositions, or classes of propositions, in virtue of which one is logically deducible from the other.

5. the act of implicating or indicating that one or more persons may be involved, as in a crime.

   The implication of his accomplices came only after hours of grueling questioning by the police.

6. the state of being implicated.

   We recently heard of his implication in a conspiracy.

7. Usually implications. relationships of a close or intimate nature; involvements.

   the religious implications of ancient astrology.

   Synonyms:

   connection

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implication British  

/ ˌɪmplɪˈkeɪʃən /

noun

1. the act of implicating or the state of being implicated

2. something that is implied; suggestion

   the implication of your silence is that you're bored

3. logic

   1. the operator that forms a sentence from two given sentences and corresponds to the English if … then …

   2. a sentence so formed. Usually written p→q or p⊃q, where p,q are the component sentences, it is true except when p (the antecedent) is true and q (the consequent) is false

   3. the relation between such sentences

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Other Word Forms

• implicational adjective
• nonimplication noun

Etymology

Origin of implication

First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English implicacio(u)n, from Latin implicātiōn-, stem of implicātiō “an interweaving,” equivalent to implicāt(us) “interwoven” ( implicate ) + -ion

Example Sentences

The implication was that more footage was to come and Magyar moved to pre-empt it.

From BBC

The findings may have broader implications for people who rely on caffeine at night, including shift workers, health care professionals, and military personnel.

From Science Daily

"The improvement we saw is clinically meaningful. These workers were able to stay awake and alert throughout a full eight-hour shift, which has real implications for performance, safety, and quality of life," Czeisler said.

From Science Daily

“It also means rivers and streams are going to dry out sooner, and that has bad implications for natural ecosystems and our fisheries,” he said.

From Los Angeles Times

Although not spelt out precisely during the interview, the implication of Block’s trade rationale is that higher unemployment means economic weakness and this would in turn lead to deteriorating corporate financials.

From MarketWatch

Related Words

• conclusion
• connotation
• indication
• meaning
• overtone
• ramification
• significance