Definition of imply
Etymology
< Middle English implien < Old French as if *emplier < Latin implicare ("to infold, involve") < in ("in") + plicare ("to fold")
Pronunciation
Verb
to imply (third-person singular simple present implies, present participle implying, simple past and past participle implied)
- (transitive) To express in a suggestive manner rather than as a direct statement.
"Are you implying that I don't wash my hands?!"
- (transitive) To have as a necessary consequence.
- (transitive) To suggest a logical inference.
Usage notes
- This is a catenative verb that takes the gerund (-ing).
Synonyms
Related terms
- implicate
- implication
- implicative
- implicit
- implicitness
- implision
See also
References:
- Wiktionary. Published under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.
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