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imply
/ ɪmˈplaɪ /
verb
- to express or indicate by a hint; suggest
what are you implying by that remark?
- to suggest or involve as a necessary consequence
- logic to enable (a conclusion) to be inferred
- obsolete.to entangle or enfold
Usage Note
Usage
Other Words From
- reim·ply verb (used with object) reimplied reimplying
- super·im·ply verb (used with object) superimplied superimplying
Word History and Origins
Word History and Origins
Origin of imply1
Example Sentences
Powell said the Fed will seek inflation that averages 2% over time, a step that implies allowing for price pressures to overshoot after periods of weakness.
The S&P 500 and Nasdaq 100 scaled new peaks Wednesday, but their respective measures of implied volatility also rose in tandem.
The latest science, it said, did not imply that a person is immune in the three months following infection.
In plain English, this implies that a group of pre-selected officials or government officers would have the authority to confirm the data on the blockchain.
Accounting for the much bluer national environment, that would imply either that Florida is immune to shifts in the national mood or that the state lurched to the right sometime in the intervening two years.
In other words, Coexist stickers may imply a desire for global love.
Aielli, who was very much alive when she learned of her funeral plans and the death threat they imply, says she is not deterred.
In his standup act, Buress has told rape jokes that explicitly imply sexual violence against women for a laugh.
That seemed to imply a spicy sex life, I say to him the next day.
Specific job descriptions imply a meticulous attention to detail will be necessary in the mission.
Now this setting up of an orderly law-abiding self seems to me to imply that there are impulses which make for order.
The fillip given would have been far, far greater than that which the mere numbers (1,200 for the Division) would seem to imply.
They always imply desquamation of epithelium, which rarely occurs except in parenchymatous inflammations (Figs. 60 and 61).
These two phenomenal facts imply some strong antagonism to the priesthood and their system.
Unless perhaps, as Aunty Rosa seemed to imply, they had sent secret orders.
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Imply vs. Infer
What's the difference between imply and infer?
To imply is to indicate or suggest something without actually stating it. Infer most commonly means to guess or use reasoning to come to a conclusion based on what has been suggested.
Imply and infer can be confused because they’re often used at opposite ends of the same situation. When someone implies something (suggests it without saying it explicitly), you have to infer their meaning (conclude what it is based on the hints that have been given).
For example, you might infer that your friend wants cake for their birthday because they keep talking about how much they like cake and reminding you that their birthday is coming up. Your friend didn’t actually ask for cake, but they implied that they want it by giving you hints. You used these hints to infer that they want cake.
Of course, there are situations in which you might infer something when nothing was implied or nothing was intended to be implied.
Probably due to the association between the two words, infer is sometimes used to mean the same thing as imply—to hint or suggest. Even though this can be confusing, the meaning of infer can usually be easily inferred from the context in which it’s used.
Here’s an example of imply and infer used correctly in a sentence.
Example: Even though he only implied that he may be in trouble, we correctly inferred that he was.
Want to learn more? Read the full breakdown of the difference between imply and infer.
Quiz yourself on imply vs. infer!
Should imply or infer be used in the following sentence?
I _____ from your annoyed tone that you weren’t happy with your birthday cake.
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