v.
(infers, inferring, inferred)
deduce from evidence and reasoning rather than from explicit statements.
Derivative
- inferable
(also inferrable)
adj.
Usage
Do not confuse the words infer and imply. They can describe the same situation, but from different points of view. If a speaker or writer implies something, as in he implied that the General was a traitor, it means that the person is suggesting something though not saying it directly. If you infer something from what has been said, as in we inferred from his words that the General was a traitor, this means that you come to the conclusion that this is what they really mean.
Etymology
C15 (in the sense ‘bring about, inflict’): from L. inferre ‘bring in, bring about’.
