# inference

/ˈɪnfɝəns/ (US) · /ˈɪnfəɹəns/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/inference
Updated: 2026-08-27

## Senses

### 1. the process of reasoning

noun · CEFR B2 · Academic

the act of using clues or facts to figure something out.

For teachers: the cognitive process of deriving logical conclusions from premises known or assumed to be true.

- The detective used inference to solve the case, looking at the muddy footprints and the broken window.
- The researcher relied on statistical inference to determine whether the observed patterns in the sample were representative of the wider population.

Usage: Often used with the verb 'draw' or 'make'.

### 2. a conclusion reached

noun · CEFR B2

a guess or conclusion you make based on the information you have.

For teachers: a specific proposition or conclusion reached through the process of inferring.

- Is it a fair inference to say that he was unhappy, given how quickly he left the party?
- The historian's inference that the document was a forgery was later confirmed by chemical analysis of the ink and parchment.

### 3. machine learning output

noun · CEFR C1 · Technical

the step where an AI uses what it has learned to make a decision or a prediction about new information.

For teachers: the phase in which a trained machine learning model applies its learned parameters to new input data to produce an output.

- The app performs inference locally on your phone to identify the plants in your photos.
- Optimising the model for edge devices significantly reduced the latency during real-time inference, allowing for instantaneous object detection.

Usage: Commonly contrasted with the 'training' phase of a model.

## Examples

- The detective made an inference based on the muddy footprints.
- Readers must often make an inference about a character's true motives when the author does not state them directly.
- The researcher cautioned that while the data showed a strong correlation, drawing a definitive inference about the cause of the disease would require a much larger longitudinal study.

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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.