inference

noun

in·​fer·​ence ˈin-f(ə-)rən(t)s 

-fərn(t)s

1

: something that is inferred

especially : a conclusion or opinion that is formed because of known facts or evidence

2

: the act or process of inferring (see infer): such as

a

: the act of passing from one proposition, statement, or judgment considered as true to another whose truth is believed to follow from that of the former

b

: the act of passing from statistical sample data to generalizations (as of the value of population parameters) usually with calculated degrees of certainty

3

: the premises and conclusion of a process of inferring

Synonyms

• deduction
• conclusion
• determination

Examples of inference in a Sentence

In spite of the fact that there are virtually no controlled clinical trials examining the effects of obesity in people, we can make some inferences from animal research. —Patrick Johnson, Skeptical Inquirer, September/October 2005

We cannot see a past event directly, but science is usually based on inference, not unvarnished observation (you don't see electrons, gravity, or black holes either). —Stephen Jay Gould, Wonderful Life, 1989

The writer of science fiction extends or projects or draws inferences from what is known and accepted. —Karl Kroeber, Romantic Fantasy and Science Fiction, 1988

Its existence is only known by inference.

The program uses records of past purchases to make inferences about what customers will buy in the future.

What inference can we draw from these facts?

Recent Examples on the Web

Additionally, companies are asked to disclose total energy consumption for both training and inference, allowing the EU to detect environmental concerns while companies race forward with AI innovation. —ArsTechnica, 10 July 2025

That’s a kind of logical reasoning known as transitive inference. —Olga Lazareva, The Conversation, 1 July 2025

The inference here is that women’s speech is coded as weak and men’s, the direct opposite. —Megan C. Reynolds, Time, 27 June 2025

This efficiency reduces inference latency by 2.2-2.5x compared to larger models like Alibaba’s Qwen3-A22B, according to posts on X and Tencent’s technical reports. —Sol Rashidi, Forbes.com, 30 June 2025

Word History

Etymology

see infer

First Known Use

1593, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Kids Definition

inference

noun

in·​fer·​ence ˈin-f(ə-)rən(t)s 

1

: the act or process of inferring

2

: something inferred

Legal Definition

inference

noun

in·​fer·​ence ˈin-fə-rəns 

1

: the act or process of inferring

specifically : the act of passing from one proposition, statement, or judgment considered as true to another whose truth is believed to follow logically from that of the former

2

: something inferred

especially : a proposition arrived at by inference see also permissive presumption at presumption

3

: the premises and conclusions of a process of inferring