inferential
adjective
in·fer·en·tial
ˌin-fə-ˈren(t)-shəl 
1
: relating to, involving, or resembling inference
2
: deduced or deducible by inference
Synonyms
Examples of inferential in a Sentence
there is only inferential evidence that the ancient site was used for celebrations of the summer solstice
Recent Examples on the Web
But in many feats of machine learning, for which Bayesian probability theory often serves as the inferential engine, the prior assumptions instilled by a model’s architects play a critical role in its interpretation of its observations.
—
Matthew Gavin Frank, Harper's Magazine, 21 Sep. 2022
Lacking a smoking gun, prosecutors used two cooperating witnesses, Jeremy Bertino and Matthew Greene, to make what amounted to an inferential case that the five defendants had worked together to violently subvert the democratic process.
—Zach Montague, New York Times, 4 May 2023
This is getting all the press, but of course this is the most uncertain, inferential, and speculative aspect of the paper.
—Razib Khan, Discover Magazine, 7 May 2010
Taken to its logical conclusion, this could mean that all confirmatory (p-value) analyses should ideally be preregistered, while non-preregistered analyses could use descriptive statistics, but not inferential ones.
—Neuroskeptic, Discover Magazine, 31 Mar. 2015
Single-case experiments yield data that can be interpreted using non-inferential statistics and visual analysis of graphed data, a strategy characteristic of other natural sciences.
—Neuroskeptic, Discover Magazine, 10 July 2016
His answer was off by a factor of two, as corrected by more careful, but similarly inferential, experiments three years later.
—David H. Freedman, Discover Magazine, 9 Dec. 2010
The purpose of this analysis was to gain a better sense of the relationship between turnout and literacy, rather than conduct a causal or inferential analysis.
—Annie Waldman, ProPublica, 12 Sep. 2022
For now, health officials are going on indirect lines of evidence—some of which is strong, but inferential nonetheless.
—Alice Park, Time, 18 Aug. 2021
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Matthew Gavin Frank, Harper's Magazine, 21 Sep. 2022
Lacking a smoking gun, prosecutors used two cooperating witnesses, Jeremy Bertino and Matthew Greene, to make what amounted to an inferential case that the five defendants had worked together to violently subvert the democratic process.
—Zach Montague, New York Times, 4 May 2023
This is getting all the press, but of course this is the most uncertain, inferential, and speculative aspect of the paper.
—Razib Khan, Discover Magazine, 7 May 2010
Taken to its logical conclusion, this could mean that all confirmatory (p-value) analyses should ideally be preregistered, while non-preregistered analyses could use descriptive statistics, but not inferential ones.
—Neuroskeptic, Discover Magazine, 31 Mar. 2015
Single-case experiments yield data that can be interpreted using non-inferential statistics and visual analysis of graphed data, a strategy characteristic of other natural sciences.
—Neuroskeptic, Discover Magazine, 10 July 2016
His answer was off by a factor of two, as corrected by more careful, but similarly inferential, experiments three years later.
—David H. Freedman, Discover Magazine, 9 Dec. 2010
The purpose of this analysis was to gain a better sense of the relationship between turnout and literacy, rather than conduct a causal or inferential analysis.
—Annie Waldman, ProPublica, 12 Sep. 2022
For now, health officials are going on indirect lines of evidence—some of which is strong, but inferential nonetheless.
—Alice Park, Time, 18 Aug. 2021
See More
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'inferential.' 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
Medieval Latin inferentia, from Latin inferent-, inferens, present participle of inferre
First Known Use
1657, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Dictionary Entries Near inferential
Cite this Entry
“Inferential.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/inferential. Accessed 30 Nov. 2023.
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Legal Definition
inferential
adjective
in·fer·en·tial
ˌin-fə-ˈren-chəl
1
: relating to, involving, or resembling inference
2
: deduced or deducible by inference
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