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infer

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary

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English

Etymology

From Latin inferō, from Latin in- (“in, at, on; into”) + Latin ferō (“bear, carry; suffer”) (cognate to Old English beran, whence English bear), from Proto-Italic *ferō, from Proto-Indo-European *bʰéreti (“to bear, carry”), from the root *bʰer-. Literally “carry forward”, equivalent to “bear in”, as in concluding from a premise. Doublet of inbear.

Pronunciation

Verb

infer (third-person singular simple present infers, present participle inferring, simple past and past participle inferred)

  1. (transitive) To introduce (something) as a reasoned conclusion; to conclude by reasoning or deduction, as from premises or evidence. [from 16th c.]
    Synonyms: conclude, deduce, educe, construe
    • 2010 October 7, “Keep calm, but don't carry on”, in The Economist:
      It is dangerous to infer too much from martial bluster in British politics: at the first hint of trouble, channelling Churchill is a default tactic for beleaguered leaders of all sorts.
  2. (transitive, often proscribed) To lead to (something) as a consequence; to imply. [from 16th c.]
    Synonyms: imply, suggest, entail
  3. (obsolete) To cause, inflict (something) upon or to someone. [16th–18th c.]
  4. (obsolete) To introduce (a subject) in speaking, writing etc.; to bring in, to adduce. [16th–18th c.]

Usage notes

There are two ways in which the word "infer" is sometimes used as if it meant "imply". "Implication" is done by a person when making a "statement", whereas "inference" is done to a proposition after it had already been made or assumed. Secondly, the word "infer" can sometimes be used to mean "allude" or "express" in a suggestive manner rather than as a direct "statement". Using the word "infer" in this sense is now generally criticized prescriptively.

Derived terms

Translations

The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.
Translations to be checked

Anagrams

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Latin

Pronunciation

Verb

īnfer

  1. second-person singular present active imperative of īnferō

References

  • “infer”, in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  • “infer”, in Gaffiot, Félix (1934), Dictionnaire illustré latin-français, Hachette.

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