Use implication when the message is carried by hints, tone, wording, or context rather than by a direct statement.
Use implication when the message is carried by hints, tone, wording, or context rather than by a direct statement.
| Incorrect | Correct |
| I made an inference that he was lazy. | I objected to the implication that he was lazy. |
| The implication was clear. | The implication was that the plan had failed. |
| She implication that I lied. | She implied that I lied. |
Use implication most often in the plural here, especially when weighing effects that are not immediately visible.
| Incorrect | Correct |
| The policy has many implication for schools. | The policy has many implications for schools. |
| The implication hit the town yesterday. | The impact hit the town yesterday. |
| We ignored the implication of the risks. | We ignored the implications of the risks. |
Use implication in this sense with in, as in implication in a crime, scandal, failure, or harmful practice.
| Incorrect | Correct |
| The report implication him in the fraud. | The report implicated him in the fraud. |
| Her implication of the scandal was never proved. | Her implication in the scandal was never proved. |
| They denied any implication to the cover-up. | They denied any implication in the cover-up. |
Use implication for the formal relation p → q, and keep it distinct from the converse q → p.
| Incorrect | Correct |
| If p → q is true, then q → p is automatically true. | If p → q is true, q → p may still be false. |
| The implication is false because p is false. | A material implication with false p is true. |
| The negation of p → q is not p → not q. | The negation of p → q is p and not q. |
Use implication for what is suggested, what follows, who or what is involved, or the formal p → q relation, and let the surrounding words choose the sense.
Implication is often confused with inference, implicate, and impact, while the consequence sense usually needs the plural implications.
From Middle English and Anglo-French forms meaning entanglement or the act of implying, from Medieval Latin implicatio and Latin implicare, to fold in, entwine, or involve.
What does implication mean?
Implication can mean an indirect suggestion, a consequence, involvement in something, or an if-then relation in logic.
What is an implication in everyday language?
An everyday implication is a meaning suggested by words, silence, tone, or context without being said directly.
What does implications mean in the plural?
Implications usually means the possible effects or consequences of a decision, discovery, or event.
What is the difference between implication and inference?
An implication is what is suggested, while an inference is the conclusion someone draws from that suggestion.
What is the difference between implication and implicate?
Implication is a noun, while implicate is a verb meaning to show that someone or something is involved, often in wrongdoing.
How is implication used in law or investigations?
It can mean involvement or incriminating connection, as in implication in a fraud, scandal, or crime.
What is a logical implication?
In logic, an implication is a conditional relation such as p → q, read as if p, then q.
Can implication be countable?
Yes. A single suggested meaning can be an implication, and several consequences are implications.
Where does implication come from?
Implication comes through Middle English and Anglo-French from Latin forms tied to folding in, entwining, and involving.