Implied Definition, Meaning, and Examples in English

At present the condemned “suggest, hint” sense is found in print chiefly in letters to the editor and other informal prose, not in serious intellectual writing. The controversy over the “suggest, hint” sense has apparently reduced the frequency with which the “indicate” sense of infer is used. Use ‘implied’ when something is suggested indirectly without being explicitly stated. Implied is used when something is not directly stated but is understood from the context or the way something is said. Implied meanings often rely on context and tone to convey the intended message. Imply is close to suggest but may indicate a more definite or logical relation of the unexpressed idea to the expressed.

Articles Related to imply

He is also the first to have used infer in a sense close in meaning to imply (1533). The “indicate” sense of infer, descended from More’s use of 1533, does not occur with a personal subject. When objections arose, they were to a use with a personal subject (which is now considered a use of the “suggest, hint” sense of infer).

• Use ‘implied’ when something is suggested indirectly without being explicitly stated.
• Use ‘tacit’ when something is understood or implied without being spoken or written, often referring to unspoken agreements or consent.
• The word ‘implied’ comes from the Latin word ‘implēre’, meaning ‘to fill up’.
• When objections arose, they were to a use with a personal subject (which is now considered a use of the “suggest, hint” sense of infer).

Can you solve 4 words at once?

Intimate stresses delicacy of suggestion without connoting any lack of candor. Hint implies the use of slight or remote suggestion with a minimum of overt statement.

• The word ‘implied’ comes from the Latin word ‘implēre’, meaning ‘to fill up’.
• Intimate stresses delicacy of suggestion without connoting any lack of candor.
• The modern usage of ‘implied’ emerged in the 16th century in English to denote something understood or suggested without being directly expressed.
• Imply is close to suggest but may indicate a more definite or logical relation of the unexpressed idea to the expressed.
• Implied is used when something is not directly stated but is understood from the context or the way something is said.
• Use ‘implied’ when something is suggested indirectly without being explicitly stated.

Examples of imply in a Sentence

While not among the most basic terms, it appears often enough to be valuable for advanced communication. Intimated is used when communicating something delicately or indirectly, often in a serious or formal context. Suggested is used for offering an idea, plan, or advice usually in a helpful or constructive manner.

More from Merriam-Webster on imply

Use ‘tacit’ when something is understood or implied without being spoken or written, often referring to unspoken agreements or consent. Use ‘implicit’ when something is understood without being directly stated, often referring to what is an implied warranty underlying assumptions or inherent understanding. Still, it may as well be implied by the character’s disaffected approach to the tectonic event that undergirds Victor’s dryly funny, intimate debut. The firm said it did not believe the ad claimed or implied that the beer had any therapeutic or mood-altering effects, nor that the ad suggested alcohol was essential or a priority in life. Insinuate applies to the conveying of a usually unpleasant idea in a sly underhanded manner.

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The word ‘implied’ comes from the Latin word ‘implēre’, meaning ‘to fill up’. The modern usage of ‘implied’ emerged in the 16th century in English to denote something understood or suggested without being directly expressed. Sir Thomas More is the first writer known to have used both infer and imply in their approved senses in 1528 (with infer meaning “to deduce from facts” and imply meaning “to hint at”).