infer

American  

[in-fur] / ɪnˈfɜr /

verb (used with object)

inferred, inferring

1. to derive by reasoning; conclude or judge from premises or evidence.

   They inferred his displeasure from his cool tone of voice.

   Synonyms:

   suppose, conjecture, imagine, reason, deduce

2. (of facts, circumstances, statements, etc.) to indicate or involve as a conclusion; lead to.

3. to guess; speculate; surmise.

4. to hint; imply; suggest.

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verb (used without object)

inferred, inferring

1. to draw a conclusion, as by reasoning.

infer British  

/ ɪnˈfɜː /

verb

1. to conclude (a state of affairs, supposition, etc) by reasoning from evidence; deduce

2. (tr) to have or lead to as a necessary or logical consequence; indicate

3. (tr) to hint or imply

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Usage

Infer has been used to mean “to hint or suggest” since the 16th century by speakers and writers of unquestioned ability and eminence: The next speaker criticized the proposal, inferring that it was made solely to embarrass the government. Despite its long history, many usage guides condemn the use, maintaining that the proper word for the intended sense is imply and that to use infer is to lose a valuable distinction between the two words. Although the claimed distinction has probably existed chiefly in the pronouncements of usage guides, and although the use of infer to mean “to suggest” usually produces no ambiguity, the distinction too has a long history and is widely observed by many speakers and writers.

The use of infer to mean imply is becoming more and more common in both speech and writing. There is nevertheless a useful distinction between the two which many people would be in favour of maintaining. To infer means `to deduce', and is used in the construction to infer something from something : I inferred from what she said that she had not been well . To imply (sense 1) means `to suggest, to insinuate' and is normally followed by a clause: are you implying that I was responsible for the mistake?

Other Word Forms

• inferable adjective
• inferably adverb
• inferrable adjective
• inferrer noun
• misinfer verb
• noninferable adjective
• noninferably adverb
• subinfer verb
• uninferable adjective

Etymology

Origin of infer

First recorded in 1520–30; from Latin inferre, equivalent to in- + ferre “to bring, carry, bear”; see origin at in- ², bear ¹

Explanation

When you infer something, you read between the lines. To infer is to make a well informed guess — if you see your mom’s bag on the table, you might infer that she’s home. When you infer, you listen closely to someone and guess at things they mean but haven't actually said. It’s like guessing, but not making wild guesses. You're making deductions — guesses based on logic. Another kind of inferring is more scientific, like when a scientist has part of a dinosaur fossil and can infer what the rest of the dinosaur looked like. When you see the word infer, think "educated guess."

Example Sentences

Scientists infer its existence from the way its gravity affects visible matter.

From Science Daily • Apr. 10, 2026

The judge would have to infer guilt from the fact that stories contained private information, and, he claimed, Mail journalists had a "propensity" to use unlawful methods.

From BBC • Mar. 31, 2026

Any reasonable person can infer that these transactions are bribes.

From Salon • Mar. 14, 2026

Here is what I infer of the president’s logic.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 5, 2026

Some dates, such as those for the rise of chiefdoms, are more difficult to infer from the archaeological record than are dates of artifacts like pottery or metal tools.

From "Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies" by Jared M. Diamond

Related Words

• ascertain
• assume
• construe
• deduce
• derive
• figure out
• glean
• guess
• interpret
• presume
• presuppose
• reckon
• speculate
• surmise