imply

imply — verb

1. to express a thought, feeling, or fact in an indirect way — for example, by your

1.verbtransitiveB2
Definition

to express a thought, feeling, or fact in an indirect way — for example, by your choice of words or your tone of voice, without stating the message in plain terms.

Example

Linh was quiet, but her careful silence implied she was disappointed with the outcome.

silence implied — inanimate subject for indirect communication

The shift supervisor's stern tone implied that Yael was in trouble for being late.

implied + that-clause for warning through tone

Common collocations
  • strongly imply
  • clearly imply
  • seem to imply
  • imply that
  • imply something about
Synonyms
  • suggest

    Less directed than 'imply'; 'suggest' can be a gentle proposal or recommendation rather than a hidden message.

  • hint at

    More deliberate and playful than 'imply'; often used when giving clues in a light or indirect way.

  • insinuate

    Has a negative connotation of slyly suggesting something unpleasant or damaging about someone.

Antonyms
  • state

    To express something clearly and directly, the opposite of implying.

  • declare

    To say something in a formal or emphatic way, leaving no room for doubt.

Grammar Patterns

imply + that-clause

imply + noun phrase

Usage Note

Frequently used with a that-clause ('imply that...'). The subject is typically a person, their words, their behaviour, or a situation. Distinguish from 'infer': a speaker implies, but a listener infers. The famous memory aid is 'the implier sends the message; the inferrer receives it.'

Common Mistakes

What are you inferring by that remark?
What are you implying by that remark?
The person speaking implies; the person listening infers.
He implied to leave the party early.
He implied that he wanted to leave the party early.
'imply' cannot be followed directly by an infinitive.

2. used when a name, title, or description reveals a quality or fact about the thin

2.verbtransitiveC1
Definition

used when a name, title, or description reveals a quality or fact about the thing it refers to — the label itself carries information beyond its literal meaning.

Example

The term 'starter home' implies a small house for people buying their first property.

term + implies + noun phrase for meaning carried by a label

Getting the job title 'assistant manager' implies that you will help a senior executive run the department.

Common collocations
  • name implies
  • term implies
  • title implies
  • label implies
Synonyms
  • indicate

    More factual than 'imply'; 'indicate' suggests the label points to an objective fact rather than carrying an implied meaning.

  • suggest

    Softens the claim; 'suggest' is often used when the label hints at a quality but does not prove it.

  • connote

    More formal and technical; 'connote' refers specifically to the associated or emotional meanings a word carries beyond its literal sense.

Grammar Patterns

[name/label] + implies + [that-clause]

[name/label] + implies + [noun phrase]

Usage Note

The subject is almost always a word, term, name, title, or label — not a person. Commonly follows the pattern '[Name/Label] implies [that]...' This sense is distinct from Sense 1, which involves a person's deliberate choice to communicate indirectly.

Common Mistakes

The name of the street implies that the area used to be farmland.
The name of the street suggests that the area used to be farmland.
'Imply' with a name suggests the name itself carries evidence; 'suggest' is more neutral and common in everyday description.

3. to involve or require something as an essential part of a situation, so that the

3.verbtransitiveC1
Definition

to involve or require something as an essential part of a situation, so that the first thing cannot exist or happen without the second following as a necessary consequence.

Example

Accepting a job in another city implies relocating your whole household.

accepting + [gerund] + implies + [gerund] for logical necessity

The new trade agreement implies lower taxes on imported goods, which should benefit small businesses.

agreement + implies + noun phrase for economic consequence

Common collocations
  • necessarily imply
  • imply acceptance of
  • imply agreement to
  • implied by the terms
Synonyms
  • entail

    More formal than 'imply'; 'entail' emphasises that something is an unavoidable part of a process or arrangement.

  • involve

    Broader than 'imply'; 'involve' includes things that are part of a situation but not always a strict consequence.

  • require

    Stronger than 'imply'; 'require' suggests a rule or necessity, while 'imply' suggests a logical connection.

Antonyms
  • rule out

    To make something impossible, the opposite of making it necessary.

  • preclude

    Formal term meaning to prevent something from happening, the reverse of requiring it.

Grammar Patterns

[situation/action] + implies + [gerund phrase]

[situation/action] + implies + that-clause

Usage Note

Often appears with a gerund ('implies doing something') or a that-clause. The relationship is one of logical necessity, not suggestion: if A happens, B is a required consequence. This sense is common in formal, legal, and academic writing. Compare with Sense 1, where the implication is a person's choice, not a logical demand.

Common Mistakes

A university degree implies a good salary.
A university degree often leads to a better salary, but it does not guarantee one.
'imply' in this sense means a necessary consequence, not a common correlation.
The dark clouds imply rain.
The dark clouds suggest rain.
Use 'imply' for logical certainty, not for weather prediction.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: verb/1

All four words describe communicating something without stating it directly, but they differ in intent and tone. 'Imply' is the broadest: the speaker leaves a message to be understood without spelling it out — it can be neutral or negative. 'Suggest' is softer and more open; it can mean offering an idea for consideration rather than hiding it ('Are you suggesting we take the train?'). 'Hint' is more deliberate and often playful — it involves giving small clues that the listener is expected to notice and piece together ('She hinted that she wanted a book for her birthday'). 'Insinuate' has a distinctly negative edge: it means to sneak an unpleasant or damaging idea into the conversation slyly ('Are you insinuating that I lied?'). A useful test: if the message is something you would not want to be caught saying openly, it is closer to 'insinuate' than to 'imply.'

imply ↗suggest ↗hint ↗insinuate

Common collocations

Nouns

  • statement implies
  • term implies
  • agreement implies
  • name implies
  • contract implies

Adverbs

  • strongly imply
  • clearly imply
  • necessarily imply
  • simply imply
  • only imply

Phrases

  • it implies that
  • what does that imply
  • this is not to imply

Prepositions

  • imply by
  • imply about
  • imply in

Etymology

LatinFrenchEnglish

From Middle English 'implien,' borrowed from Anglo-French 'emplier,' going back to Latin 'implicare' — meaning 'to involve, entangle, or fold in.' The root is 'in-' (in) + 'plicare' (to fold). The original Latin sense of 'folding something into' a message evolved into the modern meaning of conveying an idea without stating it openly — as if the message is 'folded inside' the words. The 'INVOLVE NECESSARILY' sense (Sense 3) preserves the original Latin meaning most closely.