Langimage
English

infer

|in/fer|

B2

🇺🇸

/ɪnˈfɜr/

🇬🇧

/ɪnˈfɜːr/

deduce from evidence

Etymology
Etymology Information

'infer' originates from Latin, specifically the word 'inferre,' where 'in-' meant 'into' and 'ferre' meant 'to carry.'

Historical Evolution

'inferre' transformed into the French word 'inférer,' and eventually became the modern English word 'infer' through Middle English.

Meaning Changes

Initially, it meant 'to bring in or carry in,' but over time it evolved into its current meaning of 'to deduce or conclude.'

Meanings by Part of Speech

Verb 1

to deduce or conclude information from evidence and reasoning rather than from explicit statements.

From the evidence presented, we can infer that the suspect was at the scene of the crime.

Synonyms

Antonyms

Last updated: 2025/01/11 11:39