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implicate

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary

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English

Etymology 1

First attested in the 15th century, in Middle English; inherited from Middle English implicaten (poorly attested), from implicat(e) (“wrapped, entwined; incolved, connected (with)”, possibly also used as the past participle of implicaten) +‎ -en (verb-forming suffix), borrowed from Latin implicātus, perfect passive participle of implicō (“entangle, involve”) (see -ate (verb-forming suffix)), from plicō (“fold”). Doublet of imply and employ.

Pronunciation

Verb

implicate (third-person singular simple present implicates, present participle implicating, simple past and past participle implicated)

  1. (transitive, usually with in) To show to be connected or involved in an unfavorable or criminal way.
    The evidence implicates involvement of top management in the scheme.
    • 1837, L[etitia] E[lizabeth] L[andon], “The Assignation”, in Ethel Churchill: Or, The Two Brides. […], volume III, London: Henry Colburn, […], →OCLC, page 256:
      But it is of no use talking now; the servants will soon be stirring, and it would be rather awkward to be found here." "For you, perhaps, madam," sneered Sir George. "Rather for yourself," replied she, with the greatest composure; "you might be implicated in the charge of murder."
    • 1879, Robert J[ones] Burdette, Hawk-Eyes, New York, N.Y.: G. W. Carleton & Co., Publishers, page 137:
      I shall cancel, without further provocation, the next lecture engagement that is implicated with a peep o' day train.
    • 2013 June 29, “A punch in the gut”, in The Economist‎, volume 407, number 8842, London: The Economist Group, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 27 July 2023, pages 72–73:
      Mostly, the microbiome is beneficial. It helps with digestion and enables people to extract a lot more calories from their food than would otherwise be possible. Research over the past few years, however, has implicated it in diseases from atherosclerosis to asthma to autism.
  2. (transitive, nonstandard) To imply, to have as a necessary consequence or accompaniment.
    What did Nixon's visit to China implicate for Russia?
  3. (pragmatics) To imply without entailing; to have as an implicature.
  4. (archaic) To fold or twist together, intertwine, interlace, entangle, entwine.
Derived terms
Translations

Etymology 2

First attested in the first part of the 15th century, in Middle English; inherited from Middle English implicat(e) (“wrapped, entwined; incolved, connected (with)”), see -ate (adjective-forming suffix), -ate (noun-forming suffix) and Etymology 1 for more.

Pronunciation

Noun

implicate (plural implicates)

  1. (philosophy) The thing implied.
    Coordinate terms: implicand, implicans

Adjective

implicate (comparative more implicate, superlative most implicate)

  1. (rare, also figuratively) Intertwined, enfolded, twisted together; wrapped up (with), entangled, involved (in).
    1. (especially, in quantum theory) used in implicate order
  2. (obsolete) Involved, intricate.
Derived terms
  • implicate order

Anagrams

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Italian

Verb

implicate

  1. inflection of implicare:
    1. second-person plural present indicative
    2. second-person plural imperative
    3. feminine plural past participle

Latin

Participle

implicāte

  1. vocative masculine singular of implicātus

Spanish

Verb

implicate

  1. second-person singular voseo imperative of implicar combined with te

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