imply
verb
Simple meaning
Suggest as a logically necessary consequence.
Pronunciation
Say it like this:
ihmplySay the bold part a little louder.
IPA pronunciation (US)
ɪmpˈlaɪ
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
Suggest as a logically necessary consequence; in logic
Have as a logical consequence
Have as a necessary feature
transitiveof a proposition
To have as a necessary consequence; to lead to (something) as a consequence.
transitiveof a person
To suggest by logical inference.
transitiveof a person or proposition
To hint; to insinuate; to suggest tacitly and avoid a direct statement.
Word Aura™
How this word commonly comes across.
Aura for this meaning
This meaning: Suggest as a logically necessary consequence; in logic
Used this way, imply is a reasonably familiar word that usually carries little praise or criticism of its own. It usually sounds natural in a wide range of settings.
- Emotional tone
- Neutral
- Formality
- Neutral
- Intensity
- Not strongly marked
- How common
- Moderately common
- Connotation
- No strong connotation
- 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 imply
- “His silence seemed to imply that he disagreed with the plan.”
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What Does It Mean Here?
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Related Learning
Guides that use this word in context.
Word Differences
Imply vs. Infer: Who’s Doing What?
A clear explanation of imply and infer, showing who suggests and who concludes, with examples and a table.
Vocabulary
Words That Sound Smart but Are Often Used Wrong
Ten sophisticated words people commonly misuse, what they actually mean, correct examples, and simple ways to remember the difference.
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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.