implicit

American  

[im-plis-it] / ɪmˈplɪs ɪt /

adjective

1. implied, rather than expressly stated.

   implicit agreement.

2. unquestioning or unreserved; unconditional: implicit obedience;

   implicit trust;

   implicit obedience;

   implicit confidence.

   Synonyms:

   total, complete, absolute, unqualified

3. potentially contained (usually followed byin ).

   to bring out the drama implicit in the occasion.

4. Mathematics. (of a function) having the dependent variable not explicitly expressed in terms of the independent variables, as x 2 + y 2 = 1.

5. Obsolete. entangled.

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implicit British  

/ ɪmˈplɪsɪt /

adjective

1. not explicit; implied; indirect

   there was implicit criticism in his voice

2. absolute and unreserved; unquestioning

   you have implicit trust in him

3. contained or inherent

   to bring out the anger implicit in the argument

4. 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

5. obsolete intertwined

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Other Word Forms

• implicitly
  adverb
• implicitness
  noun
• implicity
  noun

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.

Example Sentences

It was implicit that the defence team had been seeking his return home, with Serbia's government making it clear it would be prepared to provide guarantees to the court if they released him.

From BBC • May 14, 2026

The point is the ask itself; the atmosphere it creates is an implicit signal that reporters who cover these men are already on notice.

From Salon • Apr. 23, 2026

Countless people sang the usual songs to us: “I hope with time it’s getting better…” So well-meaning, of course, but also tone-deaf in their implicit call for us to be “better.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 21, 2026

That give-up would represent an implicit payment for the security imparted by the U.S. to the rest of the world.

From Barron's • Apr. 10, 2026

Or that they were seemingly oblivious to the fraud implicit in no-doc loans.

From "The Big Short" by Michael Lewis

Related Words

• constant
• contained
• definite
• implied
• latent
• steadfast
• tacit
• unshakable
• unspoken