in'ferrer

World English Dictionary

infer (ɪnˈfɜː)

—vb , -fers, -ferring, -ferred
1.	to conclude (a state of affairs, supposition, etc) by reasoning from evidence; deduce
2.	(tr) to have or lead to as a necessary or logical consequence; indicate
3.	(tr) to hint or imply

[C16: from Latin inferre to bring into, from ferre to bear, carry]

usage The use of infer to mean imply is becoming more and more common in both speech and writing. There is nevertheless a useful distinction between the two which many people would be in favour of maintaining. To infer means `to deduce', and is used in the construction to infer something from something: I inferred from what she said that she had not been well. To imply (sense 1) means `to suggest, to insinuate' and is normally followed by a clause: are you implying that I was responsible for the mistake?

in'ferable

—*adj*

in'ferible

—*adj*

in'ferrable

—*adj*

in'ferrible

—*adj*

in'ferably

—*adv*

in'ferrer

—n

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
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