infer

== English == === Etymology === From Latin inferō, from Latin in- (“in, at, on; into”) + Latin ferō (“bear, carry; suffer”) (cognate to Old English beran, whence English bear), from Proto-Italic *ferō, from Proto-Indo-European *bʰéreti (“to bear, carry”), from the root *bʰer-. Literally “carry forward”, equivalent to “bear in”, as in concluding from a premise. Doublet of inbear. === Pronunciation === (Received Pronunciation, General Australian) IPA(key): /ɪnˈfɜː/ (General American, Canada) IPA(key): /ɪnˈfɝ/ (Scotland) IPA(key): /ɪnˈfɛr/ (New Zealand) IPA(key): /ənˈføː/ (Liverpool, fair–fur merger) IPA(key): /ɪnˈfeː/ (Humberside, Teesside, fair–fur merger) IPA(key): /ɪnˈfɛː/ (Lancashire, fair–fur merger) IPA(key): /ɪnˈfɜː(ɹ)/ Rhymes: -ɜː(ɹ) === Verb === infer (third-person singular simple present infers, present participle inferring, simple past and past participle inferred) (transitive) To introduce (something) as a reasoned conclusion; to conclude by reasoning or deduction, as from premises or evidence. [from 16th c.] Synonyms: conclude, deduce, educe, construe (transitive, often proscribed) To lead to (something) as a consequence; to imply. [from 16th c.] Synonyms: imply, suggest, entail a. 1535, Thomas More, letter to Fryth the fyrste parte is not the proofe of the second. but rather contrarywyse the seconde inferreth well yͤ fyrst. (obsolete) To cause, inflict (something) upon or to someone. [16th–18th c.] (obsolete) To introduce (a subject) in speaking, writing etc.; to bring in, to adduce. [16th–18th c.] ==== Usage notes ==== The words "infer" and "imply" are duals: a speaker or writer may imply a proposition by their statement, whereas a listener may infer a proposition from the statement. For example: Alice asks, "Are you going to go for a walk today?" Bob replies, "It looks like rain," implying that he won't go out. Alice infers from Bob's response that he won't go out. Here Bob has made an implication; Alice has made an inference. The word "infer" is sometimes used to mean "imply" or "suggest". For example, after Bob says "It looks like rain," Alice might ask for clarification by saying, "What are you inferring?" (rather than the more proper "What are you implying?"). This usage is generally viewed as incorrect. [1] [2] ==== Derived terms ==== ==== Related terms ==== ==== Translations ==== === Anagrams === -frine, Finer, finer, frine == Latin == === Pronunciation === (Classical Latin) IPA(key): [ˈĩː.fɛr] (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA(key): [ˈiɱ.fer] === Verb === īnfer second-person singular present active imperative of īnferō === References === “infer”, in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press “infer”, in Gaffiot, Félix (1934), Dictionnaire illustré latin-français, Hachette.