inference
[ in-fer-uhns, -fruhns ]
/ ˈɪn fər əns, -frəns /
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noun
the act or process of inferring.
something that is inferred: to make rash inferences.
Logic.
- the process of deriving the strict logical consequences of assumed premises.
- 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.
- a proposition reached by a process of inference.
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Origin of inference
OTHER WORDS FROM inference
mis·in·fer·ence, nounpre·in·fer·ence, nounsu·per·in·fer·ence, nounDictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022
How to use inference in a sentence
British Dictionary definitions for inference
inference
/ (ˈɪnfərəns, -frəns) /
noun
the act or process of inferring
an inferred conclusion, deduction, etc
any process of reasoning from premises to a conclusion
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Cultural definitions for inference
inference
In logic, the deriving of one idea from another. Inference can proceed through either induction or deduction.
The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition
Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Other Idioms and Phrases with inference
inference
see draw an inference.
The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.