imply

 
Pronunciation: /ɪmˈplʌɪ/

verb (implies, implying, implied)

[with object]
  • indicate the truth or existence of (something) by suggestion rather than explicit reference: salesmen who use jargon to imply superior knowledge [with clause]: the report implies that two million jobs might be lost
  • (of a fact or occurrence) suggest (something) as a logical consequence: the forecasted traffic increase implied more roads and more air pollution

Origin:

late Middle English: from Old French emplier, from Latin implicare, from in- 'in' + plicare 'to fold'. The original sense was 'entwine'; in the 16th and 17th cents the word also meant 'employ'. Compare with employ and implicate

Imply and infer do not mean the same thing and should not be used interchangeably: see infer (usage).