When should I use imply and infer?

Imply means to suggest or to say something in an indirect way. Infer means to suppose or come to a conclusion, especially based on an indirect suggestion.

What is the difference between infer and imply Are they interchangeable?

Imply and infer do not mean the same thing. Imply is information that a speaker or writer suggests without explicitly stating it. Infer is knowledge that the listener or reader assumes by reading between the lines or using educated guesses from the information that was provided.

What is the difference between an implication and an inference?

To imply is to hint at something, and to infer is to make an educated guess at what someone means. In other words, when you infer, you’re making an educated guess as to what another person is implying. An implication is a statement, and an inference is a conclusion.

How do you use the verb infer?

1 : to arrive at as a conclusion based on known facts I inferred he was sick from his cough. 2 : guess entry 1 sense 1 From the look on her face, I inferred she was lying. 3 : hint entry 2, suggest Are you inferring I’m guilty?

How do you explain imply?

Definition of imply

1. 1 : to express indirectly Her remarks implied a threat. The news report seems to imply his death was not an accident.
2. 2 : to involve or indicate by inference, association, or necessary consequence rather than by direct statement rights imply obligations.
3. 3 : to contain potentially.

Does the speaker infer or imply?

The difference between the two is that imply refers to giving information, while infer refers to receiving information. Imply means to strongly suggest the truth or existence of something that is not expressly stated. The speaker, or someone who is giving information, may imply something.

Is imply and suggest the same thing?

Some common synonyms of imply are hint, insinuate, intimate, and suggest. While all these words mean “to convey an idea indirectly,” imply is close to suggest but may indicate a more definite or logical relation of the unexpressed idea to the expressed.

Would imply meaning?

imply Add to list Share. Imply means to express, suggest, or show something without stating it directly: A friend’s gruff manner would imply that she’s in a foul mood.

How do you imply something?

To imply is to suggest something without stating it outright. When you infer, you pick up on a hint, or what you imagine to be a hint (it is possible to infer something that was not implied). You can infer something from information someone else has communicated.

How do you use imply in a sentence?

He stressed he was not implying wrongdoing by anyone connected with the Minster. His definition refers to extant companies, implying the book is mainly about modern indies. She had many friends and related openly and well to me, implying skills in social competence.

How do you use implication in a sentence?

Implication sentence example

1. The implication was as obvious as it was annoying.
2. The implication is always that some people are simply unable to do any job that a machine cannot do.
3. She started to defend herself, but his implication was insulting.
4. She ignored his implication that women should be punished like children.