verb
infer
in-FER/ɪnˈfɜːr/
To reach a conclusion from evidence or reasoning.
From the muddy footprints, I infer that someone came inside.
Etymology
The roots mean “carry in”: in reasoning, a conclusion is figuratively brought in as the outcome of an argument. Latin already used the combined verb for drawing conclusions.
In context
we need some connection of universals enabling us from such and such a datum to infer an object of a certain sort
More examples
- She infers from his smile that he likes the gift.
- We inferred the meaning of the unfamiliar word from context.
- Are you inferring that the two events are connected?
Forms
infer · infers · inferred · inferring
inference noun — A conclusion reached through evidence or reasoning.
inferential adjective — Based on conclusions drawn from evidence.