infer

verb

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in·fer | \ in-ˈfər

inferred; inferring

Definition of infer

transitive verb

1 : to derive as a conclusion from facts or premises we see smoke and infer fire— L. A. White — compare imply

2 : guess, surmise your letter … allows me to infer that you are as well as ever— O. W. Holmes †1935

3a : to involve as a normal outcome of thought

b : to point out : indicate this doth infer the zeal I had to see him— William Shakespeare another survey … infers that two-thirds of all present computer installations are not paying for themselves— H. R. Chellman

4 : suggest, hint are you inferring I'm incompetent?

intransitive verb

: to draw inferences men … have observed, inferred, and reasoned … to all kinds of results— John Dewey

Other Words from infer Synonyms Choose the Right Synonym Infer vs. Imply: Usage Guide More Example Sentences Learn More about infer

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Choose the Right Synonym for infer

infer, deduce, conclude, judge, gather mean to arrive at a mental conclusion. infer implies arriving at a conclusion by reasoning from evidence; if the evidence is slight, the term comes close to surmise. from that remark, I inferred that they knew each other deduce often adds to infer the special implication of drawing a particular inference from a generalization. denied we could deduce anything important from human mortality conclude implies arriving at a necessary inference at the end of a chain of reasoning. concluded that only the accused could be guilty judge stresses a weighing of the evidence on which a conclusion is based. judge people by their actions gather suggests an intuitive forming of a conclusion from implications. gathered their desire to be alone without a word

Infer vs. Imply: Usage Guide

Sir Thomas More is the first writer known to have used both infer and imply in their approved senses in 1528 (with infer meaning "to deduce from facts" and imply meaning "to hint at"). He is also the first to have used infer in a sense close in meaning to imply (1533). Both of these uses of infer coexisted without comment until some time around the end of World War I. Since then, the "indicate" and "hint or suggest" meanings of infer have been frequently condemned as an undesirable blurring of a useful distinction. The actual blurring has been done by the commentators. The "indicate" sense of infer, descended from More's use of 1533, does not occur with a personal subject. When objections arose, they were to a use with a personal subject (which is now considered a use of the "suggest, hint" sense of infer). Since dictionaries did not recognize this use specifically, the objectors assumed that the "indicate" sense was the one they found illogical, even though it had been in respectable use for four centuries. The actual usage condemned was a spoken one never used in logical discourse. At present the condemned "suggest, hint" sense is found in print chiefly in letters to the editor and other informal prose, not in serious intellectual writing. The controversy over the "suggest, hint" sense has apparently reduced the frequency with which the "indicate" sense of infer is used.

Examples of infer in a Sentence

May I remark here that although I seem to infer that private communication is an unholy mess of grammatical barbarism, … such is not my intent … — V. Louise Higgins, "Approaching Usage in the Classroom," English Journal, March 1960 … I infer that Swinburne found an adequate outlet for the creative impulse in his poetry … — T. S. Eliot, The Sacred Wood, 1920 Lucy … reseated herself with an alacrity and cheerfulness which seemed to infer that she could taste no greater delight … — Jane Austen, Sense and Sensibility, 1811 It's difficult to infer how these changes will affect ordinary citizens. Are you inferring that I'm wrong?

Recent Examples on the Web Once could infer that the six aforementioned artists are your 2020 Inductees and set to be honored during a ceremony at the Public Hall on May 2 in Cleveland. — cleveland, "Rock Hall Class of 2020 possibly revealed: Whitney, Biggie, NIN, Doobies & more," 14 Jan. 2020 Williams was unapologetically political and inferred toward the never-ending legislative discourse regarding women’s rights, choices, and their bodies even in the year 2020. — Bianca Betancourt, Harper's BAZAAR, "Michelle Williams Dedicated Her Rousing Golden Globes Speech to the Power of Women's Choice," 6 Jan. 2020 Guy Pearce plays Ebenezer Scrooge, the eternally spiteful and selfish grouch whose misdeeds against his workers and even their families are no longer inferred. — Hunter Ingram, USA TODAY, "Guy Pearce, Andy Serkis on FX's 'no-holds-barred' remake of 'A Christmas Carol'," 21 Dec. 2019 The approach parallels the way cosmologists go about inferring the history of the universe. — Quanta Magazine, "Cosmic Triangles Open a Window to the Origin of Time," 29 Oct. 2019 Barrett proposes that a brain is continually projecting itself forward in time, predicting skeletomotor and visceromotor changes and inferring the sensory changes that will result from these motor actions. — Dean Mobbs, Scientific American, "On the Nature of Fear," 20 Sep. 2019 The ability to elide the extraneous is what makes the aphorism bite, but the possibility of inferring backward to a missing text is what makes the aphorism poetic. — Adam Gopnik, The New Yorker, "The Art of Aphorism," 15 July 2019 Yet his move to Michigan stirred up drama, with some inferring that Locksley was bothered by Gattis’ decision. — Rainer Sabin, Detroit Free Press, "Michigan football's matchup with Maryland brings Gattis-Locksley drama to forefront," 31 Oct. 2019 But rather than infer this information from your online behavior or social connections, Yelp will ask users about their preferences directly. — Wired, "Yelp Is Overhauling Its App to Emphasize Personalization," 27 Aug. 2019

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