implement
Americannoun
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implements
plural
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any article used in some activity, especially an instrument, tool, or utensil.
agricultural implements.
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an article of equipment, as household furniture, clothing, ecclesiastical vestments, or the like.
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a means; agent.
human beings as an implement of divine plan.
verb (used with object)
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implements,
present (3rd person singular)
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implemented,
past participle, past
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implementing
present participle
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to fulfill; perform; carry out.
Once in office, he failed to implement his campaign promises.
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to put into effect according to or by means of a definite plan or procedure.
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Computers. to realize or instantiate (an element in a program), often under certain conditions as specified by the software involved.
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to fill out or supplement.
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to provide with implements.
noun
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a piece of equipment; tool or utensil
gardening implements
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something used to achieve a purpose; agent
verb
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to carry out; put into action; perform
to implement a plan
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archaic to complete, satisfy, or fulfil
Usage
What are other ways to say implement? The word implement broadly refers to any article used in some activity. When should you use this noun over tool, instrument, or utensil? Learn more on Thesaurus.com.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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implementationnoun
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implementernoun
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implementornoun
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nonimplementnoun
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reimplementverb (used with object)
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implementableadjective
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implementaladjective
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nonimplementaladjective
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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implementsimple
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implementssimple
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have implementedperfect
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has implementedperfect
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am implementingprogressive
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are implementingprogressive
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is implementingprogressive
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have been implementingperfect progressive
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has been implementingperfect progressive
Past
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implementedsimple
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had implementedperfect
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was implementingprogressive
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were implementingprogressive
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had been implementingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of implement
First recorded in 1425–75; late Middle English, from Late Latin implēmentum “a filling up,” equivalent to Latin implē(re) “to fill up” ( im- im- 1 + plēre “to fill” ) + -mentum -ment
Explanation
Apply the noun implement when you want to use a fancy word for "tool." A knife and fork are implements for handling food. The noun implement is a very useful word for just about anything you want to describe as a tool or a thing that helps you do something. An implement can be as simple as chimpanzees using a stick to eat ants with or a bulldozer that moves huge amounts of earth in building. The word relates to something that "fills up" a house, as in all sorts of things that allow a house to work properly.
Vocabulary lists containing implement
Essential English Vocabulary, List 1
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"A Retrieved Reformation" by O. Henry
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30 GRE Words Beginning with "I"
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
"Mistakes are going to happen. They're not being equipped to implement the AI properly."
From BBC ● Aug. 17, 2026
This is understandable—model licensing in the complex open-weight ecosystem would be difficult to implement.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 11, 2026
“Downtown L.A. should be a priority zone where the city could implement a white glove approach to helping retailers,” she said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 7, 2026
Oldham wants to see the UK government implement an automatic release scheme for young people whose CTFs were created by the government because they are the group most likely to be unaware of their existence.
From BBC ● Aug. 6, 2026
“Build a shorter implement shed over the old brickyard, and leave Effie Wilcox’s house be.”
From "A Long Way from Chicago" by Richard Peck
With this tool, early humans could create and maintain stone implements that were more carefully shaped and complex than those produced by some other prehistoric populations living during the same period.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 27, 2026
The project is one of the major street redesigns moving forward as Los Angeles implements Measure HLA.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 17, 2026
The NAP should be reviewed every four years to ensure the measures it implements are relevant to the current situation.
From BBC ● Jun. 29, 2026
Since tariffs discourage the purchase of imported goods, a country that implements them and has significant market power will effectively force foreign sellers to reduce prices over time.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 26, 2026
And what he did for the farm implements, his wife, O-lan, did for the house implements.
From "The Good Earth" by Pearl S. Buck
Meta argues it implemented measures to protect young users from predators, such as restricting direct messages from adults.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 16, 2026
The scheme will be implemented in two phases.
From BBC ● Aug. 15, 2026
Staff are now working to draft language to prohibit the fabrication of engineered-stone countertops and similar products, which will need to be reviewed by stakeholders and approved by the board before it can be implemented.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 12, 2026
Iran already has implemented rolling power cuts and restrictions on factories, with some plants allowed to shift production to Fridays, generally a day off, to make up for lost output.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 11, 2026
The insight, which would be implemented in an accelerator known as the synchrotron, was a breakthrough on a par with Lawrence’s own recognition of the cyclotron principle.
From "Big Science" by Michael Hiltzik
Furthermore, federal courts have typically given the president broad discretion in implementing the statute.
From Salon ● Aug. 16, 2026
The regulation allowing marital status to be considered has been around since 1996, when then-California Insurance Commissioner Chuck Quackenbush included it in regulations implementing Proposition 103.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 4, 2026
For example, managers may realise they need tokens not just for core software development, but for other tasks such as testing, security, or for implementing guard rails.
From BBC ● Aug. 3, 2026
Dan Karp, a school spokesman said Baldwin Wallace “has appointed a new President and leadership team, and is implementing internal financial controls in consultation with third-party experts.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 3, 2026
That comes in handy in implementing the two principles of composition when they would otherwise be stymied by the rigid word order of English.
From "The Sense of Style" by Steven Pinker
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
