infer
in-FER
/ɪnˈfɜːr/
To derive or conclude unstated information from indirect evidence or contextual clues.
Focuses on the reader or listener extracting underlying meaning that was not explicitly stated by the speaker.
The story behind the word. The Latin 'inferre' literally meant 'to carry into' or 'to bring in'. When you infer something, you carry outside evidence into your mind to form an interpretation that was not explicitly presented.
Word relationships
- surmise: 'Surmise' implies guessing on weaker evidence, whereas 'infer' suggests reasonable evidence-backed interpretation.
- gather: 'Gather' is informal everyday speech, whereas 'infer' is formal and academic.
- state explicitly: 'State explicitly' expresses facts directly, whereas 'infer' requires deriving facts indirectly.
Commonly confused with
- imply: The speaker implies (hints); the listener infers (deduces from the hint).
Word family
- inference (noun): A conclusion reached on the basis of evidence and reasoning.
- inferential (adjective): Relating to or derived from inference.
Collocations
- infer from context
- infer meaning
- reasonably infer
- infer intent
Idioms & expressions
- read between the lines
Example sentences
- "From the tense silence in the boardroom after the presentation, the CEO could infer that the board was deeply skeptical of the expansion plan." Corporate strategy evaluation
- "From a drop of water, a logician could infer the possibility of an Atlantic or a Niagara without having seen or heard of one or the other." Classic literature
Memory hook
IN-fer: You bring IN clues to FER-ret out the truth. Carry clues into your head to read between the lines.
When not to use
Do not confuse with 'imply'. A speaker implies an idea; a listener infers it.
Fun facts
- The confusion between 'infer' and 'imply' is one of the most persistent usage debates in English grammar.
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