inference

noun in·fer·ence \ ˈin-f(ə-)rən(t)s , -fərn(t)s \

|Updated on: 15 Jul 2018

Definition of inference

1 : 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

2 : something that is inferred; especially : a conclusion or opinion that is formed because of known facts or evidence

3 : the premises and conclusion of a process of inferring

See inference defined for English-language learners

See inference defined for kids

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 of inference from the Web

Generative query networks are highly versatile The networks the DeepMind team built can draw remarkably rich inferences from a very limited amount of data.

— timothy b. lee, Ars Technica, "Google researchers created an amazing scene-rendering AI," 29 June 2018
And by looking closely at how Earth's climate has changed over time, the researchers were able to make inferences about how the moon's proximity to Earth shifted over time — and how those shifts affected the length of days on the planet.

— denise chow /, NBC News, "Days on Earth are getting longer, but don't get too excited," 26 June 2018
The result is a trove of information and inferences about people’s conduct and preferences that can be used by faceless entities in ways that might affect anything from the price of credit to the availability of insurance.

— john rothchild, Scientific American, "New European Rules May Give US Internet Users True Privacy Choices for the First Time," 15 June 2018
The text of the Constitution doesn’t explicitly state whether a president can be prosecuted while in office, so arguments are based on structure and inference.

— tessa berenson, Time, "Rudy Giuliani Just Conceded That the President Can Commit Obstruction of Justice," 18 May 2018
Both are constantly verified through repetition and verification, inference and prediction, empirical observations and recognition of pattern events.

— george nicholas, Smithsonian, "When Scientists “Discover” What Indigenous People Have Always Known," 22 Feb. 2018
Plaza slings her oversize herringbone blazer on a chair and sits at the small table, under the painting of esoteric inferences, across from Paula.

— nojan aminosharei, Marie Claire, "Aubrey Plaza Was Never April Ludgate," 13 June 2018
On the one hand, there are the obvious inferences that will be drawn if the Thunder collapse continues this week.

— andrew sharp, SI.com, "With the Thunder Teetering, Paul George Free Agency Gets Interesting," 25 Apr. 2018
What is the full range of computational inference (using existing data Facebook has collected or purchased or otherwise obtained to infer or impute other traits, or classify people into groups) that is done on Facebook users?

— alexis c. madrigal, The Atlantic, "What Congress Should Ask Mark Zuckerberg," 28 Mar. 2018

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

Origin and Etymology of inference

see infer

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1594

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

inference Synonyms

Synonyms

conclusion, consequence, deduction, determination, eduction, induction;

conjecture, guess, surmise;

assumption, presumption, supposition;

Other Logic Terms

a posteriori, connotation, corollary, mutually exclusive, paradox, postulate, syllogism

INFERENCE Defined for English Language Learners

inference

noun

Definition of inference for English Language Learners

: the act or process of reaching a conclusion about something from known facts or evidence
: a conclusion or opinion that is formed because of known facts or evidence

INFERENCE Defined for Kids

inference

noun in·fer·ence \ ˈin-fə-rəns \

Definition of inference for Students

1 : the act or process of reaching a conclusion about something from known facts

2 : a conclusion or opinion reached based on known facts

Law Dictionary

inference

noun in·fer·ence \ ˈin-fə-rəns \

legal Definition of inference

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