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

Example Sentences

The new deal reflects an industrywide shift from training AI models to inference, which refers to using AI to solve problems and execute tasks.

From Barron's • Apr. 9, 2026

In today’s information environment, that kind of inference happens constantly and in public.

From Salon • Apr. 8, 2026

OpenAI expects its costs for training and inference, the latter refers to the process by which AI models respond to user queries, to exceed its revenue until 2029.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 7, 2026

Meanwhile, Intel’s server CPUs are seeing surging interest amid an industry shift toward inference, or the process of running artificial-intelligence models.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 2, 2026

They showed me how to be precise in notation, acute in investigation, and rational in inference.

From "The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation, Volume I: The Pox Party" by M.T. Anderson

Related Words

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