implication
noun
im·pli·ca·tion
ˌim-plə-ˈkā-shən 
1
: something implied: such as
a
: a possible significance or future effect
—usually used in plural
the book has political implications
the negative health implications of a sedentary lifestyle
b
: suggestion
I resent the implication that I'm not trying hard enough.
The shocking implication is that although humans and computers currently perceive the world in different ways, one day this perception will be essentially the same.—
The Physics arXiv Blog
The Physics arXiv Blog2
: the act of implicating : the state of being implicated: as
a
: close connection, relationship, or involvement
… in addition to their implication in many diseases, viruses play integral parts in the evolution of novel traits in living creatures …—Nathan Myhrvold
Nathan Myhrvold
b
: an incriminating involvement
… all the innuendo about her first cousin Scipio Aemilianus's implication in the murder.—Colleen McCullough
Colleen McCulloughRichard Nixon announced his resignation as US president, the first to do so, because of his implication in the Watergate scandal.—The Western Mail
The Western Mail3
a
: the act of implying : the state of being implied
He condemned the court and, by implication, the entire legal system.
b
logic
(1)
: a relationship between two propositions that fails to hold only if the first is true and the second is false see Truth Table
(2)
: a relationship between two propositions in which if the first is true then the second is true
(3)
: a statement exhibiting a relation of implication
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.
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
Anadolu | Anadolu | Getty Images Should Iran succeed in closing the Strait, the implications for the global oil markets could be severe.
—Lee Ying Shan, CNBC, 1 Mar. 2026
In a recent article in Artforum on the material conditions of machine learning and its implications for the field of art history, Sonja Drimmer asserts that computer vision is fundamentally distinct from traditional imaging techniques such as photography.
—Patrick R. Crowley, Artforum, 1 Mar. 2026
On the other hand, there were times when Hilton did not appear to have properly taken into account the implications of his policy positions or perhaps didn’t care.
—Rafael Perez, Oc Register, 1 Mar. 2026
While the killing of Khamenei — a symbol, for many, of decades of brutal repression and economic mismanagement — prompted pockets of celebration Saturday night, other Iranians are voicing unease about what comes next, the implications of US intervention and anxiety about a widening regional war.
—Kara Fox, CNN Money, 1 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for implication
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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Lee Ying Shan, CNBC, 1 Mar. 2026
In a recent article in Artforum on the material conditions of machine learning and its implications for the field of art history, Sonja Drimmer asserts that computer vision is fundamentally distinct from traditional imaging techniques such as photography.
—Patrick R. Crowley, Artforum, 1 Mar. 2026
On the other hand, there were times when Hilton did not appear to have properly taken into account the implications of his policy positions or perhaps didn’t care.
—Rafael Perez, Oc Register, 1 Mar. 2026
While the killing of Khamenei — a symbol, for many, of decades of brutal repression and economic mismanagement — prompted pockets of celebration Saturday night, other Iranians are voicing unease about what comes next, the implications of US intervention and anxiety about a widening regional war.
—Kara Fox, CNN Money, 1 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for implication
Cite this Entry
“Implication.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/implication. Accessed 6 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
implication
noun
im·pli·ca·tion
ˌim-plə-ˈkā-shən
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
1
: the act of implicating : the state of being implicated
2
: the act of implying : the state of being implied
3
: something implied
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