Imply vs. Infer

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Understanding the difference between commonly confused words will help you avoid making errors in English usage. Let’s examine the difference between the following:

This word pair is notorious for tripping people up. If you wish to write and speak English with precision, you’ll be careful to make a distinction between these two commonly misused words.

imply

Imply means to hint or suggest that something is true without expressly stating it; to insinuate.

Jaclyn’s veiled comment implied that she thought Vivian had been stealing office supplies.
The girl is implying something to her little sister.

Imply can also mean to entail or suggest as a logical consequence.

The flashing lights of the emergency vehicles ahead implied that traffic could be snarled up for hours.

infer

Infer means to deduce or conclude something based on evidence or reasoning rather than from expressly stated comments.

The staff inferred from Jaclyn’s comment that she thought Vivian was the office thief.
This woman is inferring something from what she’s hearing.

The words imply and infer can describe the same event, but the vantage point is different. It is the speaker or writer who implies (indirectly suggests something, gives information, or makes implications), and the listener or reader who infers (draws conclusions or inferences, or receives the information). Implying is an action, whereas inferring is a thought process.

☛ Here’s a tip to help you remember the difference between these words:

Imply sounds similar to the word supply: When you imply something, you are supplying hints to others.

Infer sounds similar to the word interpret: When you infer something, you are interpreting information from someone else.

Photo credits:

Photo 1: Image by Sofia Shultz from Pixabay

Photo 2: Image by Robin Higgins from Pixabay