imply
Americanverb
-
to express or indicate by a hint; suggest
what are you implying by that remark?
-
to suggest or involve as a necessary consequence
-
logic to enable (a conclusion) to be inferred
-
obsolete to entangle or enfold
Usage
See infer.
Other Word Forms
- reimply verb (used with object)
- superimply verb (used with object)
Etymology
Origin of imply
First recorded in 1325–75; Middle English implien, emplien, from Middle French emplier, from Latin implicāre; see implicate
Explanation
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. The verb imply comes from a Latin word meaning “enfold or entangle” but has come to mean “to hint at.” You might imply something that you don’t want to outright say if you’re feeling coy. If you don’t call someone back after she leaves eight messages, you imply that you don’t want to chat. When you make a subtle suggestion, you imply.
Vocabulary lists containing imply
The SAT: Language of the Test, List 1
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Jim Burke's Academic Vocabulary List
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Words That Could Go Either Way: Synonyms for "Maybe"
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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.
His name crops up several times in the justice department's Epstein files, though simply appearing in the records does not imply wrongdoing.
From BBC • Apr. 21, 2026
In these cases, the language does not imply that AI has thoughts or desires.
From Science Daily • Apr. 19, 2026
In the same way, a reverse stock split is a psychological negative, because it appears to imply that the company doesn’t expect the stock price to rise on its own.
From MarketWatch • Apr. 12, 2026
You’re acting with others, not only for yourself, and you’re going forward with shared values that imply historical meaning, which has its own force.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 9, 2026
To imply is to suggest, or to throw out a suggestion; to infer is to conclude, or to take in a suggestion.
From "Woe Is I" by Patricia T. O'Conner
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.
