as in deduction
an opinion arrived at through a process of reasoning
that seems like a reasonable inference, but in this case it happens to be incorrect
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of inference
One inference that an outsider could draw from this information is that McDonald’s is the best restaurant in Omaha, good enough for one of the richest men in the world, at least.
—
Hannah Goldfield, New Yorker, 8 June 2026
Factors like inference backend reliability, network bandwidth during software installation, and timeout policy settings can swing results by 5 to 10 percentage points, the researchers found—entirely independent of what the underlying model can actually do.
—Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 8 June 2026
But a growing number of up-and-comers are vying to take on the chipmaker for inference uses, including by offering chips meant to cut down response times for chatbots and AI agents.
—Bloomberg, Mercury News, 8 June 2026
But my conclusions about these impacts rest on plausible inferences from what researchers know more generally about cognitive psychology.
—Christian B. Miller, The Conversation, 4 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for inference
Hannah Goldfield, New Yorker, 8 June 2026
Factors like inference backend reliability, network bandwidth during software installation, and timeout policy settings can swing results by 5 to 10 percentage points, the researchers found—entirely independent of what the underlying model can actually do.
—Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 8 June 2026
But a growing number of up-and-comers are vying to take on the chipmaker for inference uses, including by offering chips meant to cut down response times for chatbots and AI agents.
—Bloomberg, Mercury News, 8 June 2026
But my conclusions about these impacts rest on plausible inferences from what researchers know more generally about cognitive psychology.
—Christian B. Miller, The Conversation, 4 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for inference
Recent Examples of Synonyms for inference
Noun
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The president’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act created a large new deduction for seniors, which put a major dent in one of Social Security’s major revenue sources — the income taxes on benefits paid by higher-income beneficiaries.—
Ben Ritz,
Forbes.com,
11 June 2026
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Defense attorney Eric Cohen challenged the strength of the prosecution’s deduction during cross-examination of FBI Special Agent Andrew Delvalle.—
Sarah Rumpf-Whitten,
FOXNews.com,
10 June 2026
Noun
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The non-stop nature of modern football means that these games will come straight after the conclusion of next summer’s World Cup.—
Jack Pitt-Brooke,
New York Times,
12 Dec. 2025
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Investors are betting that a majority of Fed policymakers will vote for a quarter-point cut at the conclusion of this week's meeting.—
Scott Horsley,
NPR,
10 Dec. 2025
Noun
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Police will forward findings to the Wayne County Prosecutor's Office for review and determination of charges.—
Thao Nguyen,
USA Today,
11 June 2026
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This World Cup, like Yamal’s sentiments, reflects FIFA’s determination to chart a new course and, as its critics charge, a disregard for the sport’s past and its millions of fans.—
Scott M. Reid,
Oc Register,
10 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Inference.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/inference. Accessed 17 Jun. 2026.
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