implicate
verb
Simple meaning
To show to be connected or involved in an unfavorable or criminal way.
Pronunciation
Say it like this:
implihkaytSay the bold part a little louder.
IPA pronunciation (US)
ˈɪmplɪkeɪt
This word is pronounced essentially the same in American and British English, so one transcription covers both.
IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) is a standard way of writing speech sounds.
Definition
Everyday modern meanings first, grouped by part of speech.
verb
transitiveusually with in
To show to be connected or involved in an unfavorable or criminal way.
Impose, involve, or imply as a necessary accompaniment or result
pragmatics
To imply without entailing; to have as an implicature.
Word at a Glance
- Difficulty
- C2 · Proficient (estimated)
- Frequency
- Rare
- Typical Use
- Primarily written
Word Aura™
How this word commonly comes across.
Aura for this meaning
This meaning: To show to be connected or involved in an unfavorable or criminal way.
Used this way, implicate is a reasonably familiar word with a faintly unfavourable edge. It usually sounds natural in a wide range of settings.
- Emotional tone
- Slightly negative
- Formality
- Neutral
- Intensity
- Moderate
- How common
- Moderately common
- Connotation
- Critical or judgemental
- Usage feel
- Neutral and straightforward
Word Aura describes common impressions, not a measurement. Tone changes with sentence, speaker, relationship and situation.
More ways to use implicate
- “He is implicated in the scheme to defraud the government.”verb
Share your sentence
Common Patterns and Combinations
How this word naturally appears with others.
Impose / imply
Implicate
Other combinations
Tap the highlighted word to open its own entry.
Use This Word
See how this word sounds in a real sentence.
Ask Vocabaura
Understand the word your way.
What Does It Mean Here?
Words can change meaning depending on context.
Use it yourself
Knowing “implicate” starts when you use it. Pick a next step, all free.
Dictionary data from Wiktionary via the Free Dictionary API. Simple meanings, combinations and word intelligence are built from verified reference data, no AI is used to load this page.