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REFERENCE

infer

v.
B2 Upper Intermediate Oxford US //ˌɪnˈfɝ// UK //ɪnfˈɜː// in·fer Academic Archaic General-service

v. to reach a conclusion based on the information you have, even if it is not stated directly. You use this when you read between the lines to understand a hidden meaning.

v. to deduce or conclude information from evidence and reasoning rather than from explicit statements. Transitive; requires a direct object or a 'that' clause.


SIMPLE

I can infer from your silence that you are unhappy.

CONTEXTUAL

Readers must often infer the character's true motivations by observing their actions rather than listening to their dialogue.

COMPLEX

While the report never explicitly blames the management, one can easily infer a lack of oversight from the detailed timeline of the financial discrepancies.

Synonyms
Origin

From Latin inferō, from Latin in- (“in, at, on; into”) + Latin ferō (“bear, carry; suffer”) (cognate to Old English beran, whence English bear), from Proto-Italic ferō, from Proto-Indo-European bʰéreti (“to bear, carry”), from the root *bʰer-. Literally “carry forward”, equivalent to “bear in”, as in concluding from a premise. Doublet of inbear.

Usage

The verb is transitive and often takes a 'that' clause or a direct object.

Pitfall

The speaker inferred that the plan would fail.The speaker implied that the plan would fail.Learners often confuse 'infer' with 'implied'. The speaker implies (suggests); the listener infers (deduces).

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