imply

[ im-plahy ]

verb (used with object)

, im·plied, im·ply·ing.

1. to indicate or suggest without being explicitly stated:

   His words implied a lack of faith.

2. (of words) to signify or mean.
3. to involve as a necessary circumstance:

   Speech implies a speaker.

   Synonyms: demand, require

4. Obsolete. to enfold.

imply

/ ɪmˈplaɪ /

verb

1. to express or indicate by a hint; suggest

   what are you implying by that remark?

2. to suggest or involve as a necessary consequence
3. logic to enable (a conclusion) to be inferred
4. obsolete.
   to entangle or enfold

Usage Note

See infer.

Usage

See infer

Other Words From

• reim·ply verb (used with object) reimplied reimplying
• super·im·ply verb (used with object) superimplied superimplying

Word History and Origins

Origin of imply¹

First recorded in 1325–75; Middle English implien, emplien, from Middle French emplier, from Latin implicāre; implicate

Word History and Origins

Origin of imply¹

C14: from Old French emplier, from Latin implicāre to involve; see implicate

Example Sentences

Transactional politics imply cutting deals with coup leaders and warlords whose crimes are their credentials.

From BBC

Jokura added he was most intrigued by “the synchronized contraction of the muscles, which indicates that nerve cells fused quickly, allowing the sharing of electrical signals or action potentials. This could imply a form of shared consciousness, making this phenomenon a valuable experimental model for studying integration mechanisms.”

From Salon

At a debate at Dolores Mission last month, De León talked almost exclusively in Spanish and kept referring to his constituents as nuestra gente — our people — to imply that Jurado could never understand Latinos and their needs.

From Los Angeles Times

Sanders' indictment of the party as a whole would seem to imply that Biden and Harris' apparent missteps were part of a larger structural issue, despite the president holding on to his belief that he would have waged a stronger campaign against Trump.

From Salon

“But no swing states have been called, and there is a lot of information it doesn’t capture, information that is mostly good for Donald Trump and bad for Kamala Harris — not the 50/50 race the “called” states might imply.

From Salon

Related Words

• entail
• hint
• involve
• mention
• signify
• suggest