implication

noun

im·​pli·​ca·​tion ˌim-plə-ˈkā-shən 

1

: something implied: such as

a

: a possible significance

the book has political implications

b

: suggestion

2

a

: close connection

especially : an incriminating involvement

b

: the act of implicating : the state of being implicated

3

a

: the act of implying : the state of being implied

b(1)

: a logical relation between two propositions that fails to hold only if the first is true and the second is false see Truth Table

(2)

: a logical relationship between two propositions in which if the first is true the second is true

(3)

: a statement exhibiting a relation of implication

implicative

ˈim-plə-ˌkā-tiv 

im-ˈpli-kə-

adjective

implicatively adverb

implicativeness noun

Examples of implication in a Sentence

… but whereas Updike and Roth work to establish connection and coherence in the face of time's chaos, DeLillo is an artist of diffusion and dispersal, of implication and missing information. —A. O. Scott, New York Times Book Review, 21 May 2006

… the power of ideas to transform the world is itself accelerating. Although people readily agree with this observation when simply stated, very few people truly appreciate its profound implications. —Ray Kurzweil, Curious Minds, (2004) 2005

… the astronomer Edwin Hubble found that the universe is expanding, and by implication must have originated a finite time ago in an explosion popularly called the big bang. —Paul Davies, The New Physics, 1989

I'm offended by his implication that women can't be good at mathematics.

He condemned the court and, by implication, the entire legal system.

He was shocked by the implication of his partner in the theft.

Recent Examples on the Web

The Lakers now begin a three-game home stand against the Cavaliers, the Minnesota Timberwolves and the Warriors, three games that could have huge implications on the final seedings at the end of the regular season. —Matias Grez, CNN, 4 Apr. 2024

In a roughly 200-word post on Tuesday about the bill and its implications on X, Kirk implored Nebraska to implement a winner-take-all electoral system by passing Lippincott's bill. —Nicholas Kerr, ABC News, 4 Apr. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English implicacioun "complication, complexity," borrowed from Anglo-French & Medieval Latin; Anglo-French implicacion "act of implying," borrowed from Medieval Latin implicātiōn-, implicātiō "entanglement, act of implying something, statement with implicit meaning," going back to Latin, "action of weaving in, intricacy," from implicāre "to fold about itself, entwine, involve" + -tiōn-, -tiō, suffix of verbal action — more at implicate

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2b

Kids Definition

implication

noun

im·​pli·​ca·​tion ˌim-plə-ˈkā-shən 

1

: the act of implicating : the state of being implicated

2

a

: the act of implying : the state of being implied

b

: something implied

Legal Definition

implication

noun

im·​pli·​ca·​tion ˌim-plə-ˈkā-shən 

1

: the act of implicating : the state of being implicated

2

: the act of implying : the state of being implied

3

: something implied