Imply | Infer
Impy and infer are two words which have two quite distinct meanings, but have become so connected that many people cannot distinguish between them - the result being that they are frequently used incorrectly. A look at the dictionary shows that the two are, in reality, quite different concepts:
- Imply means to hint at, or suggest
-
Infer means to deduce, or to draw a conclusion from
If you have problems remembering the difference between the two terms and find yourself getting muddled up, you may find it easier to think of the two words as being at the opposite ends of a communication device, such as a telephone or fax:
sender |
message |
receiver |
||
|---|---|---|---|---|
imply |
--> |
fool |
<-- |
infer |
In this example, the message is 'fool'. There are two ways to translate this into a correct sentence, depending on the circumstance:
- The reciever is inferring from your behaviour (the message) that you are a fool; i.e. he is passively regarding you as such.
- The sender is implying that from your behaviour (the message) you are a fool; i.e. he is actively (but subtly) letting you know that he thinks you are a fool.
Proofreading a document, you should be sure to focus not just on your spelling and grammar, but also words which may not quite fit what you are trying to say; if you write infer when you actually meant the concept imply, your message becomes unclear. Good proofreading will pick out these mistakes and correct them before your document reaches its audience.