implication

[ im-pli-key-shuhn ]

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

implication

/ 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

Derived Forms

• ˌimpliˈcational, adjective

Other Words From

• impli·cation·al adjective
• nonim·pli·cation noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of implication¹

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

That has profound implications for people in California and, more fundamentally, how we manage infrastructure.

From Popular-Science

By implication, the believers are saying that these vaunted names will generate enormous returns on the 20% of earnings they’re keeping to grow the business.

From Fortune

The Northern Isles deployment confirmed their hypothesis, which could have implications for data centers on land.

From Fortune

Sitting in my own backyard one afternoon this summer, my wife and I talked through the implications of this looming American future.

From ProPublica

Not to mention, the financial implications to you and your client.

From Search Engine Watch

Outside of the absurdity of “blood splatter” flying through the air is the implication that Ebola can be “breathed” at all.

From The Daily Beast

The implication is that she might even have assisted her husband inflicting his superficial wounds.

From The Daily Beast

The implication of some German news stories is that he was almost a charity case.

From The Daily Beast

The bottom-line implication of such remarks: Putin will not let that happen again; and the crisis will go on.

From The Daily Beast

Yet another important barrier to addressing this issue is the implication for statin sales.

From The Daily Beast

Lady Hartledon understood the implication; she felt nettled, and a flush rose to her face.

From Project Gutenberg

I learnt it—I can hardly tell you how I learnt it—by implication, I think; for it was never expressly told me.

From Project Gutenberg

It is the implication that there is a spiritual discernment which is distinct from mental discernment.

From Project Gutenberg

The softness of the implication she swept aside, as if she hardly dared regard it lest it weaken her resolve.

From Project Gutenberg

I think it possesses this authority, both by necessary implication and by express grant.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

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