R ə̇nˈfər, + vowel -fər.; -R -fə̄, + suffixal vowel -fər. also -fə̄r, + vowel in a following word -fər. or -fə̄ also -fə̄r verb
( inferred ; inferred ; inferring ; infers )
Etymology: Middle French or Latin; Middle French inferer, from Latin inferre to carry or bring into, attack, enter, introduce, cause, deduce, from in in- (II) + ferre to carry, bring — more at bear
transitive verb
1. obsolete
a. : to bring about : procure
b. : to bring upon one : inflict
c. : confer
2. : to derive by reasoning or implication : conclude from facts or premises
we see smoke and infer fire — L.A.White
: accept or derive as a consequence, conclusion, or probability
task of physical science is to infer knowledge of external objects from a set of signals passing along our nerves — A.S.Eddington
the child infers the existence of an environment which is not part of itself — James Jeans
— compare imply
3. : guess , surmise
given some utterance, a person may infer from it all sorts of things which neither the utterance nor the utterer implied — I.A.Richards
as may be inferred from the picture, travel through this type of forest was comparatively easy — C.B.Hitchcock
4.
a. : to lead to as a conclusion or consequence : involve as a normal outcome of thought
democracy infers such loving comradeship — Walt Whitman
b. : to point out : indicate
this doth infer the zeal I had to see him — Shakespeare
— compare imply
5. : to give reason to draw an inference concerning : hint
did not take part in the debate except to ask a question inferring that the constitution must be changed — Manchester Guardian Weekly
complain of the American accent, inferring that American culture is unworthy of notice — W.C.Greet
6. obsolete : to bring in : introduce
intransitive verb
: to draw inferences
men have been thinking for ages … have observed, inferred, and reasoned in all sorts of ways and to all kinds of results — John Dewey
Synonyms:
deduce , conclude , judge , gather : infer indicates arriving at an opinion or coming to accept a probability on the basis of available evidence, which may be slight
the population of Gloucester may readily be inferred from the number of houses which King found in the returns of hearth money — T.B.Macaulay
your letter has just arrived and allows me to infer that you are as well as ever — O.W.Holmes †1935
most of the material in this book was spoken before it was printed, as may perhaps be inferred from the style — Elmer Davis
deduce adds to infer implications of ordered logical thought processes used in the study of logic to draw a specific inference from a general principle, in popular use to infer a truth from analysis of evidence
for the apprehension of new elements requires a sensitive perception and familiarity with new details and cannot be deduced from established principles — M.R.Cohen
a register at the head of the stairs on a wooden shelf. The last entry was in pencil, three weeks previous as to date, and had been written by someone with a very unsteady hand. I deduced from this that the management was not overparticular — Raymond Chandler
conclude may indicate attaining to a fact, truth, or belief after ordered consideration following through with necessary consequences of evidence weighed or facts observed
do not conclude that all state activities will be state monopolies — G.B.Shaw
concluded that all of the senses were of equal value in obtaining knowledge of the world, and that with one sense alone “the understanding has as many faculties as with the five joined together” — S.F.Mason
judge stresses careful, critical examination of evidence in attempting to arrive at a wise or fit conclusion
there is a unifying as well as a discriminating phase of judgment — technically known as synthesis in distinction from analysis. This unifying phase, even more than the analytic, is a function of the creative response of the individual who judges — John Dewey
the lawfulness or unlawfulness of taking part in deeds of violence must be judged on the merits of each particular case — W.R.Inge
gather implies conclusion by reflection but not pondering on impressions formed from cumulative evidence
piecing together classical tradition and references in Egyptian and Hebrew records, we gather that for some three centuries onwards from 1600 B.C. Phoenicia was a dependency of the Pharaohs — Edward Clodd
that I myself believe there may be more than one kind of good poetry might, I think, have been gathered from that paragraph of mine which Professor Grierson then quotes — F.R.Leavis