implication

noun

im·​pli·​ca·​tion ˌim-plə-ˈkā-shən How to pronounce implication (audio)
1
: something implied: such as
a
: a possible significance
the book has political implications
2
a
: close connection
especially : an incriminating involvement
b
: the act of implicating : the state of being implicated
3
a
: the act of implying : the state of being implied
b(1)
: a logical relation between two propositions that fails to hold only if the first is true and the second is false see Truth Table
(2)
: a logical relationship between two propositions in which if the first is true the second is true
(3)
: a statement exhibiting a relation of implication
implicative
ˈim-plə-ˌkā-tiv How to pronounce implication (audio)
im-ˈpli-kə-
adjective
implicatively adverb
implicativeness noun

Examples of implication in a Sentence

… but whereas Updike and Roth work to establish connection and coherence in the face of time's chaos, DeLillo is an artist of diffusion and dispersal, of implication and missing information. A. O. Scott, New York Times Book Review, 21 May 2006
… the power of ideas to transform the world is itself accelerating. Although people readily agree with this observation when simply stated, very few people truly appreciate its profound implications. Ray Kurzweil, Curious Minds, (2004) 2005
… the astronomer Edwin Hubble found that the universe is expanding, and by implication must have originated a finite time ago in an explosion popularly called the big bang. Paul Davies, The New Physics, 1989
I'm offended by his implication that women can't be good at mathematics. He condemned the court and, by implication, the entire legal system. He was shocked by the implication of his partner in the theft.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Not long ago, Paul was invited to Chicago to give a lecture about her work and its possible implications for neuroscience, and more than seven thousand people showed up. Alice Gregory, The New Yorker, 2 Dec. 2024 Hoffman’s trouble with Trump Even prior to election day, Hoffman expressed his concerns about a Trump reelection and its implications for entrepreneurs who publicly criticized the former president. Sasha Rogelberg, Fortune, 2 Dec. 2024 The flashiest implication of the new study is that, if it can indeed be replicated in humans, MAGL inhibitors could help curtail the opioid epidemic. Richard A. Friedman, The Atlantic, 29 Nov. 2024 Words and phrases, once deemed neutral, may now be imbued with negative implications. Julie Garel, Baltimore Sun, 27 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for implication 

Word History

Etymology

Middle English implicacioun "complication, complexity," borrowed from Anglo-French & Medieval Latin; Anglo-French implicacion "act of implying," borrowed from Medieval Latin implicātiōn-, implicātiō "entanglement, act of implying something, statement with implicit meaning," going back to Latin, "action of weaving in, intricacy," from implicāre "to fold about itself, entwine, involve" + -tiōn-, -tiō, suffix of verbal action — more at implicate

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2b

Time Traveler
The first known use of implication was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near implication

Cite this Entry

“Implication.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/implication. Accessed 9 Dec. 2024.

Kids Definition

implication

noun
im·​pli·​ca·​tion ˌim-plə-ˈkā-shən How to pronounce implication (audio)
1
: the act of implicating : the state of being implicated
2
a
: the act of implying : the state of being implied
b
: something implied

Legal Definition

implication

noun
im·​pli·​ca·​tion ˌim-plə-ˈkā-shən How to pronounce implication (audio)
1
: the act of implicating : the state of being implicated
2
: the act of implying : the state of being implied
3
: something implied
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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