verb (-rr-)
1 ~ sth (from sth) to reach an opinion or decide that sth is true on the basis of information that is available
SYNDEDUCE:
[VN] Much of the meaning must be inferred from the context. * Readers are left to infer the killer's motives. * [Vthat] It is reasonable to infer that the government knew about these deals.
2 (non-standard) to suggest indirectly that sth is true:
[V(that)] Are you inferring (that) I'm not capable of doing the job? [also VN]
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WHICHWORD?
infer / imply
Infer and imply have opposite meanings. The two words can describe the same event, but from different points of view. If a speaker or writer implies something, they suggest it without say-ing it directly: The article implied that the pilot was responsible for the accident. If you infer something from what a speaker or writer says, you come to the conclusion that this is what he or she means: I inferred from the article that the pilot was responsible for the accident.
Infer is now often used with the same meaning as imply. However, many people consider that a sentence such as Are you inferring that I'm a liar? is incorrect, although it is fairly common in speech.
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