implication

noun

im·pli·ca·tion ˌim-plə-ˈkā-shən

Synonyms of implication next

: something implied: such as

: a possible significance

the book has political implications

: suggestion

: close connection

especially : an incriminating involvement

: the act of implicating : the state of being implicated

: 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

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. See More

Recent Examples on the Web The insurance industry is only just beginning to price the cost of climate change into its premiums, said Jeremy Porter, the head of climate implications at First Street and one of the report’s lead authors. —

Ella Nilsen, CNN, 20 Sep. 2023 Instead of succumbing to panic over the implications of Buffett’s substantial investment, Squeri chose a different path. —

Eleanor Pringle, Fortune, 20 Sep. 2023 There isn’t a lot of comprehensive research on the public health implications of blowing lakebed dust. —

Leia Larsen, The Salt Lake Tribune, 19 Sep. 2023 The document’s publication comes more than 10 months after Port of San Diego commissioners agreed to launch the environmental review, and speaks to the breadth of analysis needed to understand the implications of a project proposing to redevelop 102 acres of land and water area on San Diego Bay. —

Jennifer Van Grove, San Diego Union-Tribune, 15 Sep. 2023 The New York Times has not neglected coverage of the IRA, either, and business outlets like Bloomberg and Axios have been even more informative on its climate and economic implications. —

Liza Featherstone, The New Republic, 15 Sep. 2023 Ford, General Motors and Stellantis (formerly Fiat Chrysler) have spent weeks in talks with the UAW, mulling over details of a new labor contract that also has major implications for the U.S. automotive industry. —

Khristopher J. Brooks, CBS News, 14 Sep. 2023 The outcome of the case, Missouri v. Biden, could have broad implications for the future of government efforts to work with tech companies to address online misinformation. —

Cat Zakrzewski, Washington Post, 14 Sep. 2023 While all inquiries opened in recent history have resulted in the impeachment of a president, Republicans have been treading carefully around the term and its potential political implications. —

Farnoush Amiri, Anchorage Daily News, 13 Sep. 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'implication.' 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 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

See more words from the same century