implication

American  

[im-pli-kay-shuhn] / ˌɪm plɪˈkeɪ ʃən /

noun

• implications
  plural

1. something implied or suggested as naturally to be inferred or understood.

   to resent an implication of dishonesty.

2. the act of implying.

   His implication of immediate changes surprised us.

3. the state of being implied.

   to know only by implication.

4. Logic. the relation that holds between two propositions, or classes of propositions, in virtue of which one is logically deducible from the other.

5. the act of implicating or indicating that one or more persons may be involved, as in a crime.

   The implication of his accomplices came only after hours of grueling questioning by the police.

6. the state of being implicated.

   We recently heard of his implication in a conspiracy.

7. Usually implications. relationships of a close or intimate nature; involvements.

   the religious implications of ancient astrology.

   Synonyms:

   connection

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implication British  

/ ˌɪmplɪˈkeɪʃən /

noun

1. the act of implicating or the state of being implicated

2. something that is implied; suggestion

   the implication of your silence is that you're bored

3. logic

   1. the operator that forms a sentence from two given sentences and corresponds to the English if … then …

   2. a sentence so formed. Usually written p→q or p⊃q, where p,q are the component sentences, it is true except when p (the antecedent) is true and q (the consequent) is false

   3. the relation between such sentences

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• nonimplication
  noun
• implicational
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• implications
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of implication

First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English implicacio(u)n, from Latin implicātiōn-, stem of implicātiō “an interweaving,” equivalent to implicāt(us) “interwoven” ( see implicate) + -ion

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Explanation

An implication is something that is suggested, or happens, indirectly. When you left the gate open and the dog escaped, you were guilty by implication. Implication has many different senses. Usually, when used in the plural, implications are effects or consequences that may happen in the future. You might ask, "What are the implications of our decision?" Implication is also the state of being implicated, or connected to something bad: "Are you surprised by their implication that you were involved in the crime?"

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

implication implications

The impossible-to-ignore implication was that it was a test run, but Patterson felt that costumed friend walked too much like a human so he recast the role.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 20, 2026

The implication being that some companies are attributing layoffs to better tech when it is really just cost-cutting.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 15, 2026

"Etihad categorically rejects any finding, conclusion or implication that suggests the airline has ever been involved in improper commercial arrangements," an Etihad spokesperson said in a statement.

From Barron's ● Oct. 2, 2026

Which is the implication given by the term: that there might be a single cause for something terrible.

From Slate ● Sep. 23, 2026

The implication was that if he was nervous, it meant that he had something to hide.

From "Monster" by Walter Dean Myers

While firms like Othram only use ancestry platforms where users have provided consent for law enforcement matching, there remain some concerns about the ethical implications of using this data.

From BBC ● Oct. 20, 2026

Inching his way toward its melody and then playing it outright, he explores its harmonic implications and its relationship to the sturdy yet bouncing bass line upon which his composition is built.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 20, 2026

The findings may therefore have implications beyond Nicaragua, particularly for other active volcanoes that contain persistent lava lakes and complex underground magma systems.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 19, 2026

While the complaint against Alfozan does not allege spying activities, US Director of National Intelligence Jay Clayton implied in a statement last week that the case had national security implications.

From Barron's ● Oct. 19, 2026

Muller also realized that his experiment had broad implications for human eugenics.

From "The Gene" by Siddhartha Mukherjee

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Related Words

• conclusion
• connotation
• indication
• meaning
• overtone
• ramification
• significance

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