infer

verb

in·​fer in-ˈfər How to pronounce infer (audio)
inferred; inferring

transitive verb

1
: to derive as a conclusion from facts or premises
we see smoke and infer fireL. A. White
compare imply
2
: guess, surmise
your letter … allows me to infer that you are as well as everO. W. Holmes †1935
3
a
: to involve as a normal outcome of thought
b
: to point out : indicate
this doth infer the zeal I had to see himWilliam Shakespeare
another survey … infers that two-thirds of all present computer installations are not paying for themselvesH. R. Chellman
4
: suggest, hint
are you inferring I'm incompetent?

intransitive verb

: to draw inferences
men … have observed, inferred, and reasoned … to all kinds of resultsJohn Dewey
inferable adjective
or less commonly inferrible
inferrer noun
Infer vs. Imply: Usage Guide

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"). He is also the first to have used infer in a sense close in meaning to imply (1533). Both of these uses of infer coexisted without comment until some time around the end of World War I. Since then, the "indicate" and "hint or suggest" meanings of infer have been frequently condemned as an undesirable blurring of a useful distinction. The actual blurring has been done by the commentators. 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). Since dictionaries did not recognize this use specifically, the objectors assumed that the "indicate" sense was the one they found illogical, even though it had been in respectable use for four centuries. The actual usage condemned was a spoken one never used in logical discourse. 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.

Choose the Right Synonym for infer

infer, deduce, conclude, judge, gather mean to arrive at a mental conclusion.

infer implies arriving at a conclusion by reasoning from evidence; if the evidence is slight, the term comes close to surmise.

from that remark, I inferred that they knew each other

deduce often adds to infer the special implication of drawing a particular inference from a generalization.

denied we could deduce anything important from human mortality

conclude implies arriving at a necessary inference at the end of a chain of reasoning.

concluded that only the accused could be guilty

judge stresses a weighing of the evidence on which a conclusion is based.

judge people by their actions

gather suggests an intuitive forming of a conclusion from implications.

gathered their desire to be alone without a word

Examples of infer in a Sentence

May I remark here that although I seem to infer that private communication is an unholy mess of grammatical barbarism,  … such is not my intent … V. Louise Higgins, "Approaching Usage in the Classroom," English JournalMarch 1960
… I infer that Swinburne found an adequate outlet for the creative impulse in his poetry … T. S. Eliot, The Sacred Wood, 1920
Lucy … reseated herself with an alacrity and cheerfulness which seemed to infer that she could taste no greater delight … Jane Austen, Sense and Sensibility, 1811
It's difficult to infer how these changes will affect ordinary citizens. Are you inferring that I'm wrong?
Recent Examples on the Web There have been some comments recently that were picked up to infer that that Peter’s out and Miles is in. Katcy Stephan, Variety, 26 Feb. 2024 Although candidates may not explicitly state this on their resume, problem solving can be inferred from other resume content, such as club leadership and complex classroom projects, which abound with opportunities to solve problems. Shawn Vanderziel, Forbes, 21 Feb. 2024 The goal is to infer which decks are more advantageous than the others and thereby maximize winnings. D. T. Max, The New Yorker, 21 Jan. 2024 The 2021 Report by the UK Commission on Race and Ethnic Disparities turns to an unsubstantiated victim-blaming shibboleth, inferring that inequity stems from the failure of minoritized populations to exercise agency and take advantage of apparently abundant health-promoting opportunities. Arline Geronimus, WIRED, 19 Jan. 2024 Other data points in Michigan used to infer a voter's partisan leaning are less reliable. Detroit Free Press, 15 Feb. 2024 The model inferred that, though variable, the most likely social organization of primate ancestors was pair-living. Margherita Bassi, Discover Magazine, 30 Jan. 2024 However, since the film is distributed by Searchlight Pictures, which is owned by Walt Disney Studios, it can be inferred that the film will eventually be available to stream on Hulu. Dina Kaur, The Arizona Republic, 10 Jan. 2024 This was intriguing evidence that the observers could indeed infer the goal of the shaking (what the game players were trying to learn) simply by interpreting their motions. Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, 25 Dec. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'infer.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle French or Latin; Middle French inferer, from Latin inferre, literally, to carry or bring into, from in- + ferre to carry — more at bear

First Known Use

1528, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of infer was in 1528

Dictionary Entries Near infer

Cite this Entry

“Infer.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/infer. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

infer

verb
in·​fer in-ˈfər How to pronounce infer (audio)
inferred; inferring
1
: to arrive at as a conclusion
2
3
inferable
-ə-bəl
adjective

Legal Definition

infer

verb
in·​fer in-ˈfər How to pronounce infer (audio)
inferred; inferring

transitive verb

: to derive as a conclusion from facts or premises
could infer acceptance of the offer from the offeree's response

intransitive verb

: to draw inferences
inferable adjective
also inferrible

More from Merriam-Webster on infer

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