inference
noun
in·fer·ence
| \ ˈin-f(ə-)rən(t)s
, -fərn(t)s\
, -fərn(t)s\
Definition of inference
1
: the act or process of inferring (see infer): such as
a
: the act of passing from one proposition, statement, or judgment considered as true to another whose truth is believed to follow from that of the former
b
: the act of passing from statistical sample data to generalizations (as of the value of population parameters) usually with calculated degrees of certainty
2
: something that is inferred
especially
: a conclusion or opinion that is formed because of known facts or evidence
3
: the premises and conclusion of a process of inferring
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Synonyms for inference
Synonyms
conclusion, consequence, deduction, determination, eduction, induction, sequitur
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Examples of inference in a Sentence
In spite of the fact that there are virtually no controlled clinical trials examining the effects of obesity in people, we can make some inferences from animal research.
— Patrick Johnson, Skeptical Inquirer, September/October 2005
We cannot see a past event directly, but science is usually based on inference, not unvarnished observation (you don't see electrons, gravity, or black holes either).
— Stephen Jay Gould, Wonderful Life, 1989
The writer of science fiction extends or projects or draws inferences from what is known and accepted.
— Karl Kroeber, Romantic Fantasy and Science Fiction, 1988
Its existence is only known by inference.
The program uses records of past purchases to make inferences about what customers will buy in the future.
What inference can we draw from these facts?
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Recent Examples on the Web
The move didn’t produce immediate results: Ohtani struck out three times and reached on a catcher’s inference. — Los Angeles Times, "It was short but sweet for Angels pitcher Patrick Sandoval in defeat against the A’s," 4 Sep. 2019 Paton, a practitioner of phrenology, a pseudo-science that makes inferences about mental faculties and character traits based on the shape of the skull, took particular interest in Adie’s cranium. — Brigit Katz, Smithsonian, "Wanted: The Missing Bones of a Scottish ‘Witch’," 3 Sep. 2019 First, a lack of comprehensive data restricts inferences that can be made about modern extinctions. — Commentary, Quartz Africa, "Plants are going extinct up to 350 times faster than the historical norm," 24 Aug. 2019 These sorts of inferences about mating patterns from behavioral descriptions were true of animals across the board. — Ethan Baron, The Mercury News, "Lizards gone wild! UC Berkeley researcher’s ‘feminist science’ bucks male-dominated inquiry," 22 Aug. 2019 And when press releases made unwarranted inferences about animal studies, 86 percent of the journalistic coverage did, too. — Brian Resnick, Vox, "How to combat overhyped science news," 11 June 2019 Nor did the algorithm rely on machine learning techniques, a system that allows AI to learn by identifying patterns and using inference with minimal human intervention. — Peter Holley, courant.com, "How quickly can AI solve a Rubik’s Cube?," 17 July 2019 Regardless of whether a person uses online services, some decisions will still be made without their control—even without their knowledge—through inference algorithms. — Wired Opinion, WIRED, "How to Protect Our Kids' Data and Privacy," 7 July 2019 She was supposed to be making inferences and drawing conclusions about a dense article describing Brazil, which was lying facedown on her desk. — Natalie Wexler, The Atlantic, "Elementary Education Has Gone Terribly Wrong," 9 July 2019These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'inference.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for inference
inference
noun
English Language Learners Definition of inference
: the act or process of reaching a conclusion about something from known facts or evidence
: a conclusion or opinion that is formed because of known facts or evidence
See the full definition for inference in the English Language Learners Dictionary
inference
noun
in·fer·ence
| \ ˈin-fə-rəns
\
\
Kids Definition of inference
1
: the act or process of reaching a conclusion about something from known facts
2
: a conclusion or opinion reached based on known facts
inference
noun
in·fer·ence
| \ ˈin-fə-rəns
\
\
Legal Definition of inference
1
: the act or process of inferring
specifically
: the act of passing from one proposition, statement, or judgment considered as true to another whose truth is believed to follow logically from that of the former
2
: something inferred
especially
: a proposition arrived at by inference — see also permissive presumption at presumption
3
: the premises and conclusions of a process of inferring
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