# implying

/ˌɪmˈpɫaɪɪŋ/ (US) · /ɪmplˈaɪɪŋ/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/implying
Updated: 2026-06-20

## Senses

### 1. suggesting indirectly

verb · CEFR B2

suggesting that something is true without saying it in a direct way.

For teachers: suggesting a fact or belief indirectly rather than stating it explicitly. Transitive — requires a clause or noun phrase as the implied content.

- Are you implying that I made a mistake on the report?
- By questioning the timing of the announcement, the journalist was implying that the minister had a hidden political motive.

### 2. logical consequence

verb · CEFR C1 · Academic

meaning that one thing must be true because another thing is true.

For teachers: indicating a necessary logical consequence or requirement. Often used in academic or technical contexts to show how one premise leads to another.

- Accepting this job means implying a commitment to work on weekends.
- The theorem is significant because, by implying the existence of a stable equilibrium, it simplifies the entire calculation process.

## Examples

- Are you implying that I made a mistake?
- The manager's tone was polite, but his words were clearly implying that the team needed to work faster.
- By highlighting the budget cuts without mentioning the project's failure, the report was subtly implying that the lack of funding was the sole cause of the collapse.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.