inference

American  

[in-fer-uhns, -fruhns] / ˈɪn fər əns, -frəns /

noun

1. the act or process of inferring.

2. something that is inferred.

   to make rash inferences.

3. Logic.

   1. the process of deriving the strict logical consequences of assumed premises.

   2. the process of arriving at some conclusion that, though it is not logically derivable from the assumed premises, possesses some degree of probability relative to the premises.

   3. a proposition reached by a process of inference.

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inference British  

/ ˈɪnfərəns, -frəns /

noun

1. the act or process of inferring

2. an inferred conclusion, deduction, etc

3. any process of reasoning from premises to a conclusion

4. logic the specific mode of reasoning used See also deduction induction

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inference Cultural  

1. In logic, the deriving of one idea from another. Inference can proceed through either induction or deduction.

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inference Idioms  

1. see draw an inference.

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Other Word Forms

• misinference
  noun
• preinference
  noun
• superinference
  noun

Etymology

Origin of inference

From the Medieval Latin word inferentia, dating back to 1585–95. See infer, -ence

Explanation

An inference is an idea or conclusion that's drawn from evidence and reasoning. An inference is an educated guess. We learn about some things by experiencing them first-hand, but we gain other knowledge by inference — the process of inferring things based on what is already known. When you make an inference, you're reading between the lines or just looking carefully at the facts and coming to conclusions. You can also make faulty inferences. If you hear a person's weight is 250 pounds, you might make the inference that they're overweight. But what if they're seven feet tall?

Example Sentences

He called the company’s Blackwell chips “the king of inference today,” and predicted that the next line, Vera Rubin, would “extend that leadership even further.”

From The Wall Street Journal • May 31, 2026

The shift to inference, or running AI models after training, has also driven strong demand for CPUs.

From MarketWatch • May 27, 2026

This requires evidence that supports a strong inference of intentional discrimination, rather than the effects-based framework adopted by Congress in 1982.

From Slate • May 22, 2026

Investors seek Nvidia’s strategy for AI inference amid competition, with CPU server racks expected at Computex in early June.

From Barron's • May 18, 2026

The distinction between two very different types of inference, between vestiges and analogies, is still important for Locke.

From "The Invention of Science" by David Wootton

Related Words

• assumption
• conjecture
• interpretation
• presumption
• reasoning
• supposition