Meanings
verbinfer (third-person singular simple present infers, present participle inferring, simple past and past participle inferred)
present singular third person infers · participle present inferring · participle past inferred · past inferred
- transitiveTo introduce (something) as a reasoned conclusion; to conclude by reasoning or deduction, as from premises or evidence.First known use 16th c.
It is dangerous to infer too much from martial bluster in British politics: at the first hint of trouble, channelling Churchill is a default tactic for beleaguered leaders of all sorts.
2010 October 7, “Keep calm, but don't carry on”, in The Economist - oftenproscribedtransitiveTo lead to (something) as a consequence; to imply.First known use 16th c.
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.
2 more examples
This doth infer the zeal I had to see him.
c. 1596–1599 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Second Part of Henry the Fourth, […]. Epilogue.”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act V, scene v]These and a thousand like propositions, which concurre in this purpose, do evidently inferre [translating sonnent] some thing beyond patient expecting of death it selfe to be suffered in this life[…].
1603, Michel de Montaigne, chapter 3, in John Florio, transl., The Essayes […], book II, London: […] Val[entine] Simmes for Edward Blount […], →OCLC - obsoleteTo introduce (a subject) in speaking, writing etc.; to bring in, to adduce.First known use 16th–18th c.
Full well hath Clifford played the orator, / Inferring arguments of mighty force.
c. 1591–1592 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Third Part of Henry the Sixt, […]”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act II, scene ii]
Synonyms & antonyms
verbTo introduce (something) as a reasoned conclusion; to conclude by reasoning or deduction, as from premises or evidence.
More synonyms by meaning
verbreason by deduction; establish by deduction
Broader
verbdraw from specific cases for more general cases
Broader
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Proto-Indo-European*bʰéreti“to bear, carry”
- Proto-Italic*ferō
- Latinferō“bear, carry; suffer”
- Latinin-“in, at, on; into”
- Latininferō
- Englishinfer
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.
More words from Latin, Proto-Italic, Proto-Indo-European
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Bulgarian заключавам, загатвам
- заключавам (zaključavam)to introduce (something) as a reasoned conclusion; to conclude by reasoning or deduction, as from premises or evidence
- загатвам (zagatvam)to lead to as a consequence
Catalan inferir
- inferirto introduce (something) as a reasoned conclusion; to conclude by reasoning or deduction, as from premises or evidence
Chinese Mandarin 推斷 /推断
- 推斷 /推断 (tuīduàn)to introduce (something) as a reasoned conclusion; to conclude by reasoning or deduction, as from premises or evidence
Czech vyvodit, dopadnout
- vyvoditto introduce (something) as a reasoned conclusion; to conclude by reasoning or deduction, as from premises or evidence
- dopadnoutto lead to as a consequence
Dutch concluderen
- concluderento introduce (something) as a reasoned conclusion; to conclude by reasoning or deduction, as from premises or evidence
Finnish päätellä, tehdä johtopäätös
- päätelläto introduce (something) as a reasoned conclusion; to conclude by reasoning or deduction, as from premises or evidence
- tehdä johtopäätösto introduce (something) as a reasoned conclusion; to conclude by reasoning or deduction, as from premises or evidence
- johtaato lead to as a consequence
- selittääto lead to as a consequence
French déduire, inférer
- déduireto introduce (something) as a reasoned conclusion; to conclude by reasoning or deduction, as from premises or evidence
- inférerto introduce (something) as a reasoned conclusion; to conclude by reasoning or deduction, as from premises or evidence
German schlussfolgern, folgern
- schlussfolgernto introduce (something) as a reasoned conclusion; to conclude by reasoning or deduction, as from premises or evidence
- folgernto introduce (something) as a reasoned conclusion; to conclude by reasoning or deduction, as from premises or evidence
- schließento introduce (something) as a reasoned conclusion; to conclude by reasoning or deduction, as from premises or evidence
- Schlüsse ziehento introduce (something) as a reasoned conclusion; to conclude by reasoning or deduction, as from premises or evidence
- zur Folge habento lead to as a consequence
Greek συμπεραίνω, υπονοώ
- συμπεραίνω (symperaíno)to introduce (something) as a reasoned conclusion; to conclude by reasoning or deduction, as from premises or evidence
- υπονοώ (yponoó)to lead to as a consequence
- υπαινίσσομαι (ypainíssomai)to lead to as a consequence
Hungarian következtet, kikövetkeztet
- következtetto introduce (something) as a reasoned conclusion; to conclude by reasoning or deduction, as from premises or evidence
- kikövetkeztetto introduce (something) as a reasoned conclusion; to conclude by reasoning or deduction, as from premises or evidence
- dedukálto introduce (something) as a reasoned conclusion; to conclude by reasoning or deduction, as from premises or evidence
Italian inferire, dedurre
- inferireto introduce (something) as a reasoned conclusion; to conclude by reasoning or deduction, as from premises or evidence
- dedurreto introduce (something) as a reasoned conclusion; to conclude by reasoning or deduction, as from premises or evidence
- concludereto introduce (something) as a reasoned conclusion; to conclude by reasoning or deduction, as from premises or evidence
- infliggereto introduce (something) as a reasoned conclusion; to conclude by reasoning or deduction, as from premises or evidence
- implicareto lead to as a consequence
Latin coniecto
- coniectoto introduce (something) as a reasoned conclusion; to conclude by reasoning or deduction, as from premises or evidence
Māori hīkaro
- hīkaroto introduce (something) as a reasoned conclusion; to conclude by reasoning or deduction, as from premises or evidence
Polish wnioskować, wywnioskować
- wnioskowaćto introduce (something) as a reasoned conclusion; to conclude by reasoning or deduction, as from premises or evidence
- wywnioskowaćto introduce (something) as a reasoned conclusion; to conclude by reasoning or deduction, as from premises or evidence
- dedukowaćto introduce (something) as a reasoned conclusion; to conclude by reasoning or deduction, as from premises or evidence
- wydedukowaćto introduce (something) as a reasoned conclusion; to conclude by reasoning or deduction, as from premises or evidence
Portuguese inferir
- inferirto introduce (something) as a reasoned conclusion; to conclude by reasoning or deduction, as from premises or evidence
Romanian motiva, deduce
- motivato introduce (something) as a reasoned conclusion; to conclude by reasoning or deduction, as from premises or evidence
- deduceto introduce (something) as a reasoned conclusion; to conclude by reasoning or deduction, as from premises or evidence
- inferato introduce (something) as a reasoned conclusion; to conclude by reasoning or deduction, as from premises or evidence
Russian заключи́ть, сде́лать заключе́ние
- заключи́ть (zaključítʹ)to introduce (something) as a reasoned conclusion; to conclude by reasoning or deduction, as from premises or evidence
- сде́лать заключе́ние (sdélatʹ zaključénije)to introduce (something) as a reasoned conclusion; to conclude by reasoning or deduction, as from premises or evidence
- сде́лать вы́вод (sdélatʹ vývod)to introduce (something) as a reasoned conclusion; to conclude by reasoning or deduction, as from premises or evidence
- вы́вести (vývesti)to introduce (something) as a reasoned conclusion; to conclude by reasoning or deduction, as from premises or evidence
- предполага́ть (predpolagátʹ)to lead to as a consequence
- предположи́ть (predpoložítʹ)to lead to as a consequence
- дога́дываться (dogádyvatʹsja)to lead to as a consequence
- догада́ться (dogadátʹsja)to lead to as a consequence
Spanish inferir, inferir
- inferirto introduce (something) as a reasoned conclusion; to conclude by reasoning or deduction, as from premises or evidence
- inferirto lead to as a consequence
Swedish sluta sig till
- sluta sig tillto introduce (something) as a reasoned conclusion; to conclude by reasoning or deduction, as from premises or evidence
Thai อนุมาน
- อนุมานto introduce (something) as a reasoned conclusion; to conclude by reasoning or deduction, as from premises or evidence
Turkish anlam çıkarmak, anlamına gelmek
- anlam çıkarmakto introduce (something) as a reasoned conclusion; to conclude by reasoning or deduction, as from premises or evidence
- anlamına gelmekto introduce (something) as a reasoned conclusion; to conclude by reasoning or deduction, as from premises or evidence
- anlamakto introduce (something) as a reasoned conclusion; to conclude by reasoning or deduction, as from premises or evidence
- mana çıkarmakto introduce (something) as a reasoned conclusion; to conclude by reasoning or deduction, as from premises or evidence
- manasına gelmekto introduce (something) as a reasoned conclusion; to conclude by reasoning or deduction, as from premises or evidence
- sonucunu çıkarmakto introduce (something) as a reasoned conclusion; to conclude by reasoning or deduction, as from premises or evidence
Ukrainian робити висновок
- робити висновок (robyty vysnovok)to introduce (something) as a reasoned conclusion; to conclude by reasoning or deduction, as from premises or evidence
Welsh enwytho, enwytho
- enwythoto introduce (something) as a reasoned conclusion; to conclude by reasoning or deduction, as from premises or evidence
- enwythoto lead to as a consequence
Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with infer
yourwereherpermatureensurevoyeurreferoccurmirrorsircellularerpreferintercureurentrepreneurinsurestirerrcurobscurebur
All rhymes →Anagrams
Cite this entry
APA
infer. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/infer
MLA
“infer.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/infer. Accessed November 2, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “infer,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/infer.
Source: infer on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.