implicature.

A meaning suggested by what someone says and its context, rather than stated directly.

Use it for

Words that belong together

• conversational implicature
• infer an implicature

On the page

Her remark about the last train carried the implicature that the guests should leave.

Usage notes

Primary category: analysis / argumentation / evidence. Forms: Countable or uncountable by context; countable singular implicature; plural implicatures. Legacy lexical fields mirror sense 1 only. Use numbered sense fields for all meanings. Established modern English lexical item. No separate regional spelling or grammatical inflection entry. Writing functions: interpretation. Commonness: uncommon.