inferential

adjective

in·​fer·​en·​tial ˌin-fə-ˈren(t)-shəl How to pronounce inferential (audio)
1
: relating to, involving, or resembling inference
2
: deduced or deducible by inference

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 This is an inferential claim, and is thus subject to the usual limitations. Gideon Lewis-Kraus, The New Yorker, 30 Nov. 2023 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

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of inferential was in 1657

Dictionary Entries Near inferential

Cite this Entry

“Inferential.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/inferential. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

Legal Definition

inferential

adjective
in·​fer·​en·​tial ˌin-fə-ˈren-chəl How to pronounce inferential (audio)
1
: relating to, involving, or resembling inference
2
: deduced or deducible by inference
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