MEANING
to reach a conclusion from evidence or reasoning rather than direct statement
Use it for
Words that belong together
- infer from the evidence
- reasonably infer
- infer a relationship
On the page
From the repeated errors, we infer that the procedure was unclear.
The letter allows readers to infer the character's motive.
One cannot infer causation from this association alone.
Nearby words
Related words
Word forms
- Base
- infer / infers
- Past tense
- inferred
- Past participle
- inferred
- Present participle
- inferring
Full tense & aspect guide
- Present
- infer / infers
- Present continuous
- am/is/are inferring
- Present perfect
- have/has inferred
- Present perfect continuous
- have/has been inferring
- Past
- inferred
- Past continuous
- was/were inferring
- Past perfect
- had inferred
- Past perfect continuous
- had been inferring
- Future
- will infer / infers
- Future continuous
- will be inferring
- Future perfect
- will have inferred
- Future perfect continuous
- will have been inferring
Choose the auxiliary that agrees with your subject. These are constructions of one word, not separate entries.
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Usage notes
Primary curation section: Academic. The reader or investigator infers; a speaker implies. An inference can be reasonable without being certain. infer; infers; inferred; inferred; inferring. Related noun: inference.
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