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:
The Overnight Visitor Levy, which was outlined in the King's Speech in May, means a holiday in England could become more expensive if local leaders decide to implement the tax.
From BBC ● Sep. 10, 2026
So, one of the most important aims of our project is to implement a preventive conservation and risk management program that safeguards these monuments for future generations.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 10, 2026
Countries must implement policies that encourage informal-sector workers to register with the tax authorities, facilitate access to financing and create infrastructure needed to accommodate small entrepreneurs.
From Barron's ● Sep. 9, 2026
The theft “confirms the need to immediately implement a comprehensive plan to secure France’s museums and protect works of art,” he added.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 8, 2026
We had yet to learn these things and implement survival tactics, which was what it came down to.
From "A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier" by Ishmael Beah
Legendary US designer Ralph Lauren on Wednesday kicked off New York Fashion Week with his namesake brand's Spring/Summer 2027 collection, as the industry showcase implements its first full ban on fur on the runway.
From Barron's ● Sep. 10, 2026
Early humans often used bone implements to sharpen the cutting edges of handaxes and tools used for butchering animals.
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
More than 100 pages of court documents which showed the wide range of items Murrell bought over a 12-year period revealed thousands of pounds went on kitchen implements and appliances.
From BBC ● Jun. 23, 2026
Dillehay told Haynes his experience with stone tools in Arizona was useless in evaluating wooden implements in Peru, and then stomped outside with a supporter.
From "1491" by Charles C. Mann
This means steep price hikes implemented shortly after an acquisition are counted as organic growth.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 11, 2026
Australia implemented legislation barring children from social media platforms in December, part of a world-first crackdown designed to protect children from online bullying and "predatory algorithms".
From Barron's ● Sep. 7, 2026
That committee proposed more than 100 reforms, a little over half of which, external have reportedly been fully implemented.
From BBC ● Sep. 6, 2026
Those findings will be reported within three months, allowing recommendations for "urgent action" to be considered and implemented "without delay".
From BBC ● Sep. 4, 2026
For Durham’s black elite, pressing for desegregation was still too radical an idea—and one which, if implemented, would threaten their own economic well-being.
From "The Best of Enemies" by Osha Gray Davidson
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman said AI companies should not wait for governments to legislate before implementing their own safety controls.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 14, 2026
One method for implementing these operations is known as Floquet control, which uses periodic control signals to drive a quantum system.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 11, 2026
A winning percentage short of 60% over nearly four years in charge and only fleeting success in implementing a more ambitious, expansive gameplan leaves little goodwill to fall back on.
From BBC ● Sep. 9, 2026
She outlined the work she’s been doing to run the organization and the plans she is implementing to secure its future.
From Salon ● Sep. 8, 2026
By the time they got around to implementing that, I would probably be in graduate school—or a retirement home.
From "Here to Stay" by Sara Farizan
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.
