implement

noun

im·ple·ment | \ˈim-plə-mənt

Definition of implement

(Entry 1 of 2)

1 : an article serving to equip the implements of religious worship

2 : a device used in the performance of a task : tool, utensil

3 : one that serves as an instrument or tool the partnership agreement does not seem to be a very potent implement— H. B. Hoffman

implement

verb

im·ple·ment | \ˈim-plə-ˌment

implemented; implementing; implements

Definition of implement (Entry 2 of 2)

transitive verb

1 : carry out, accomplish especially : to give practical effect to and ensure of actual fulfillment by concrete measures

2 : to provide instruments or means of expression for

Other Words from implement Synonyms Choose the Right Synonym More Example Sentences Learn More about implement

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Other Words from implement

Verb

implementation \ˌim-plə-mən-ˈtā-shən,

-ˌmen- \ noun

implementer or implementor \ˈim-plə-ˌmen-tər

\ noun

Synonyms for implement

Synonyms: Noun

device, instrument, tool, utensil

Synonyms: Verb

administer, apply, enforce, execute

Choose the Right Synonym for implement

Noun

implement, tool, instrument, appliance, utensil mean a relatively simple device for performing work. implement may apply to anything necessary to perform a task. crude stone implements farm implements tool suggests an implement adapted to facilitate a definite kind or stage of work and suggests the need of skill more strongly than implement. a carpenter's tools instrument suggests a device capable of delicate or precise work. the dentist's instruments appliance refers to a tool or instrument utilizing a power source and suggests portability or temporary attachment. household appliances utensil applies to a device used in domestic work or some routine unskilled activity. kitchen utensils

Examples of implement in a Sentence

Noun

They eat with us, do the beach with us; the girls, K.C. and Jessica, buy kitchen implements for us, come over to casually straighten up, make beds, clear the dishes from the sink and the bedrooms … — Dave Eggers, A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius, 2000 In the toolhouse … there were also antique implements worn like prehistoric artifacts: an ancient oblong pink whetstone pointed at either end and soapily warped by all its use, and an old-fashioned square hoe worn into a lopsided metal oval … — John Updike, The Afterlife, 1994 There was a little implement called a lemon zester that she had bought from a door-to-door salesman. — Ann Beattie, New Yorker, 28 Dec. 1987 stone implements used in prehistoric times a sharp-edged implement used to chop wood

Verb

A federal interagency group should develop and implement a risk management strategy to reduce human exposure to dioxins and dioxin-like chemicals in food, says a report from the Institute of Medicine … — Bette Hileman, Chemical & Engineering News, 7 July 2003 … drew scattered snickers when he implemented a dress code for Senate staffers … — Michelle Cottle, New Republic, 12 July 1999 States remain years behind in implementing child support regulations … — New York Times, 30 Dec. 1997 I wondered how I might best implement his plan. Due to high costs, the program was never fully implemented.

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

Despite his large fleet of implements, McCloskey does not farm. — Mitchell Kirk, Post-Tribune, "Cass County man collects tractors from around the world," 6 July 2018 The former physics major — who uses single-length irons, relies on vector putting and implements a single-plane swing — has made plenty of noise with his unorthodox methods. — Dargan Southard, USA TODAY, "Bryson DeChambeau says compass was never meant to 'skirt the rules'," 11 July 2018 Everything about shaving was alien to me; the rituals, the implements and even the necessity. — New York Times, "What My Father Gave Me," 16 June 2018 Brown, a Cubs player whose pitching hand was mangled in a farm-implement mishap. — Phil Vettel, chicagotribune.com, "Review: Will Wentworth's cooking at Mordecai earn him another Michelin star?," 8 June 2018 His Fiat implement from the early 1960s came from a junkyard in Illinois. — Mitchell Kirk, Post-Tribune, "Cass County man collects tractors from around the world," 6 July 2018 My furniture was all destroyed and my farming implements were all destroyed or stolen. — John Maccormack, San Antonio Express-News, "Old American colony in Mexico clings to its past," 18 May 2018 The remains of the cargo and various metal implements (like anchors and fittings) are still visible, but the vessel’s hull structures and timbers have vanished. — Brigit Katz, Smithsonian, "Two 19th-Century Shipwrecks Discovered During Search for Flight MH370," 10 May 2018 The plan recommends that the Illinois Department of Transportation implement tolls on existing expressways after they are reconstructed to help pay for the projects. — Susan Demar Lafferty, Daily Southtown, "I-80 improvements deemed 'critical' in regional transportation plan," 3 July 2018

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb

In 2015, amid the ongoing stretch of rising water levels in the Great Lakes, the control board implemented a modified regulatory plan that allows it to make small deviations to the amount of water released from Lake Superior without oversight. — Tony Briscoe, chicagotribune.com, "What happens when Lake Superior has too much water? It dumps it into an already overflowing Lake Michigan," 13 July 2018 The plan would be implemented in two phases, first south of Liberty Street and then later possibly north of Liberty Street or in other nearby areas. — Sharon Coolidge, Cincinnati.com, "Cincinnati unveils long-awaited OTR residential parking plan. Only thing missing? The cost.," 13 July 2018 If the bill is signed into law, Massachusetts would join 13 other states and the District of Columbia to pass or implement automatic voter-registration measures, including three that have done so this year. — Matt Stout, BostonGlobe.com, "Baker says RMV can handle automatic voter registration," 13 July 2018 The district had planned to adopt a new math pathway during a future board meeting with changes implemented for the 2018-19 school year, but trustees directed staff to consider parents’ concerns before a new math pathway was recommended. — Priscella Vega, latimes.com, "Advanced math classes will continue in Newport-Mesa middle schools," 11 July 2018 Pederson successfully implemented that playbook with a young passer, Carson Wentz, who probably would've won the MVP in his sophomore season had he not been injured. — Nate Davis, USA TODAY, "Bears training camp questions: Can Mitchell Trubisky take off under rookie coach Matt Nagy?," 10 July 2018 Reaching the finish line at 162 games would be an accomplishment to build on for 2019, when pitch limits won't be implemented. — Jeff Wilson, star-telegram, "Rangers Reaction: How the rotation could become even more jumbled by Aug. 1," 10 July 2018 The nuclear option was implemented for the first time, and the Senate rules were changed so nominees for cabinet posts and federal judgeships could be confirmed with just 51 votes. — CBS News, "Nuclear option: Why Trump's Supreme Court pick needs only 51 votes," 9 July 2018 The Trump administration pointed to its zero tolerance policy, implemented at the beginning of May, as a reason for the decline. — Kate Morrissey, Anchorage Daily News, "Illegal border crossings decrease for the first time in 2018," 7 July 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'implement.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

History and Etymology for implement

Noun

Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Late Latin implementum action of filling up, from Latin implēre to fill up, from in- + plēre to fill — more at full

Verb

see implement entry 1

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