imply

English[edit]

Etymology[edit]

From Middle English implien, emplien, borrowed from Old French emplier, from Latin implicare (“to infold, involve”), from in (“in”) + plicare (“to fold”). Doublet of employ and implicate.

Pronunciation[edit]

(General American, Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ɪmˈplaɪ/
Audio (US)
(file)
Rhymes: -aɪ
Hyphenation: im‧ply

Verb[edit]

imply (third-person singular simple present implies, present participle implying, simple past and past participle implied)

(transitive, of a proposition) to have as a necessary consequence
The proposition that "all dogs are mammals" implies that my dog is a mammal
(transitive, of a person) to suggest by logical inference
When I state that your dog is brown, I am not implying that all dogs are brown
(transitive, of a person or proposition) to hint; to insinuate; to suggest tacitly and avoid a direct statement
What do you mean "we need to be more careful with hygiene"? Are you implying that I don't wash my hands?
(archaic) to enfold, entangle.
- 1590, Edmund Spenser, The Faerie Queene, I.iv:
  And in his bosome secretly there lay / An hatefull Snake, the which his taile vptyes / In many folds, and mortall sting implyes.

Conjugation[edit]

conjugation of imply

infinitive			imply
present participle			implying
past participle			implied
	simple		progressive		perfect		perfect progressive
present	I imply	we imply	I am implying	we are implying	I have implied	we have implied	I have been implying	we have been implying
	you imply	you imply	you are implying	you are implying	you have implied	you have implied	you have been implying	you have been implying
	he implies	they imply	he is implying	they are implying	he has implied	they have implied	he has been implying	they have been implying

past	I implied	we implied	I was implying	we were implying	I had implied	we had implied	I had been implying	we had been implying
	you implied	you implied	you were implying	you were implying	you had implied	you had implied	you had been implying	you had been implying
	he implied	they implied	he was implying	they were implying	he had implied	they had implied	he had been implying	they had been implying

future	I will imply	we will imply	I will be implying	we will be implying	I will have implied	we will have implied	I will have been implying	we will have been implying
	you will imply	you will imply	you will be implying	you will be implying	you will have implied	you will have implied	you will have been implying	you will have been implying
	he will imply	they will imply	he will be implying	they will be implying	he will have implied	they will have implied	he will have been implying	they will have been implying

conditional	I would imply	we would imply	I would be implying	we would be implying	I would have implied	we would have implied	I would have been implying	we would have been implying
	you would imply	you would imply	you would be implying	you would be implying	you would have implied	you would have implied	you would have been implying	you would have been implying
	he would imply	they would imply	he would be implying	they would be implying	he would have implied	they would have implied	he would have been implying	they would have been implying

imperative	imply