implicit
Americanadjective
-
implied, rather than expressly stated.
implicit agreement.
-
unquestioning or unreserved; unconditional: implicit obedience;
implicit trust;
implicit obedience;
implicit confidence.
- Synonyms:
- total, complete, absolute, unqualified
-
potentially contained (usually followed byin ).
to bring out the drama implicit in the occasion.
-
Mathematics. (of a function) having the dependent variable not explicitly expressed in terms of the independent variables, as x 2 + y 2 = 1.
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Obsolete. entangled.
adjective
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not explicit; implied; indirect
there was implicit criticism in his voice
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absolute and unreserved; unquestioning
you have implicit trust in him
-
contained or inherent
to bring out the anger implicit in the argument
-
maths (of a function) having an equation of the form f( x,y ) = 0, in which y cannot be directly expressed in terms of x, as in xy + x ² + y ³ x ² = 0 Compare explicit 1
-
obsolete intertwined
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of implicit
First recorded in 1590–1600; from Latin implicitus “involved, obscure,” variant past participle of implicāre; see origin at implicate, -ite 2
Explanation
Use the adjective implicit when you mean that something is understood but not clearly stated. You might think you and your boyfriend might have an implicit understanding that you are going to get married, but it's probably better to talk it through. A very near synonym of implicit in this particular meaning is the word implied. But the adjective implicit also means "without any doubt," so we can say that we have implicit trust or confidence in someone. The Latin root implicāre means "to involve or entangle." Another English word with a more obvious connection to this Latin root is the verb implicate.
Vocabulary lists containing implicit
The SAT: Language of the Test, List 1
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The ACT: The Language of the Test, List 1
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TEKS ELAR Academic Vocabulary List (5th-7th grades)
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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.
It’s about the implicit cowardice behind the explosion to come.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 25, 2026
Darren found the implicit expectation to give as director became overwhelming.
From BBC ● Sep. 2, 2026
Grounded in love, her message also came with an implicit challenge: You can do better.
From Salon ● Aug. 26, 2026
“Let me reiterate: There is no soft inflation target. There is no soft implicit target. Not on this committee’s watch,” he said during his press conference on July 29.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 10, 2026
One enjoyed the official power of the state while the other enjoyed its implicit sanction.
From "Between the World and Me" by Ta-Nehisi Coates
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.
