IMPLICATION

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does implication mean? 

• IMPLICATION (noun)
  The noun IMPLICATION has 5 senses:

1. something that is inferred (deduced or entailed or implied)

2. a meaning that is not expressly stated but can be inferred

3. an accusation that brings into intimate and usually incriminating connection

4. a logical relation between propositions p and q of the form 'if p then q'; if p is true then q cannot be false

5. a relation implicated by virtue of involvement or close connection (especially an incriminating involvement)

  Familiarity information: IMPLICATION used as a noun is common.

 Dictionary entry details 

• IMPLICATION (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

Something that is inferred (deduced or entailed or implied)

Classified under:

Nouns denoting cognitive processes and contents

Synonyms:

deduction; entailment; implication

Context example:

his resignation had political implications

Hypernyms ("implication" is a kind of...):

illation; inference (the reasoning involved in drawing a conclusion or making a logical judgment on the basis of circumstantial evidence and prior conclusions rather than on the basis of direct observation)

Derivation:

implicate (impose, involve, or imply as a necessary accompaniment or result)

imply (have as a logical consequence)

imply (have as a necessary feature)

Sense 2

Meaning:

A meaning that is not expressly stated but can be inferred

Classified under:

Nouns denoting cognitive processes and contents

Synonyms:

implication; import; significance

Context example:

the expectation was spread both by word and by implication

Hypernyms ("implication" is a kind of...):

meaning; substance (the idea that is intended)

Derivation:

implicate (impose, involve, or imply as a necessary accompaniment or result)

imply (express or state indirectly)

Sense 3

Meaning:

An accusation that brings into intimate and usually incriminating connection

Classified under:

Nouns denoting communicative processes and contents

Hypernyms ("implication" is a kind of...):

accusal; accusation (a formal charge of wrongdoing brought against a person; the act of imputing blame or guilt)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "implication"):

unspoken accusation; veiled accusation (an accusation that is understood without needing to be spoken)

innuendo; insinuation (an indirect (and usually malicious) implication)

Derivation:

implicate (bring into intimate and incriminating connection)

imply (suggest that someone is guilty)

Sense 4

Meaning:

A logical relation between propositions p and q of the form 'if p then q'; if p is true then q cannot be false

Classified under:

Nouns denoting relations between people or things or ideas

Synonyms:

conditional relation; implication; logical implication

Hypernyms ("implication" is a kind of...):

logical relation (a relation between propositions)

Derivation:

implicate (impose, involve, or imply as a necessary accompaniment or result)

implicational (relating to or concerned with logical implication)

imply (suggest as a logically necessary consequence; in logic)

Sense 5

Meaning:

A relation implicated by virtue of involvement or close connection (especially an incriminating involvement)

Classified under:

Nouns denoting relations between people or things or ideas

Context example:

he was suspected of implication in several robberies

Hypernyms ("implication" is a kind of...):

involvement (a connection of inclusion or containment)

Derivation:

implicate (bring into intimate and incriminating connection)

imply (suggest that someone is guilty)

 Context examples 

The findings may have important conservation implications for declining populations of golden-winged warblers.

(New insights into genetic basis of bird migration, National Science Foundation)

Researchers say that the findings may have implications for how babies are screened for hearing loss and how mild-to-moderate hearing loss in children is managed by healthcare providers.

(Mild-to-moderate hearing loss in children leads to changes in how brain processes sound, University of Cambridge)

Not by word, or inference, or implication; not at any time whilst this remains to me! and she solemnly pointed to the scar.

(Dracula, by Bram Stoker)

"Understanding what drives these patterns has major implications for conservation."

(Forest fragmentation hits wildlife hardest in the tropics, National Science Foundation)

The findings have implications for understanding the mechanisms that lead to liver cancer and for therapeutic approaches to treat them.

(Study finds gut microbiome can control antitumor immune function in liver, National Institutes of Health)

This research may lead to the development of small molecules that can regulate activity of TTLL proteins, which may have implications for disorders linked to mutations in TTLL genes.

(Scientists unravel the mystery of the tubulin code, NIH)

The clinical implications of this receptor are unknown; however, mouse studies link its function to adenylyl cyclase inhibition.

(Muscarinic Acetylcholine Receptor M4, NCI Thesaurus)

In this two-tier system, severe dysplasia and carcinoma in situ are included under the rubric of high grade intraepithelial neoplasia and may have the same clinical implications. (WHO, 2000) — 2003

(Esophageal Intraepithelial Neoplasia, NCI Thesaurus)

A finding that has treatment or management implications for a patient's condition.

(Clinical Significance, NCI Thesaurus)

The findings have major implications for how warm the moon’s interior is thought to be.

(Evidence for Young Lunar Volcanism, NASA)