INFER Synonyms: 51 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: How is the word 'infer' distinct from other similar verbs?

Some common synonyms of infer are conclude , deduce , gather , and judge . While all these words mean "to arrive at a mental conclusion," infer implies arriving at a conclusion by reasoning from evidence; if the evidence is slight, the term comes close to surmise . // from that remark, I inferred that they knew each other

Q: Where would 'conclude' be a reasonable alternative to 'infer'?

In some situations, the words conclude and infer are roughly equivalent. However, conclude implies arriving at a necessary inference at the end of a chain of reasoning. // concluded that only the accused could be guilty

Q: How are the words 'deduce' and 'infer' related?

Deduce often adds to infer the special implication of drawing a particular inference from a generalization. // denied we could deduce anything important from human mortality

Q: When is 'gather' a more appropriate choice than 'infer'?

While the synonyms gather and infer are close in meaning, gather suggests an intuitive forming of a conclusion from implications. // gathered their desire to be alone without a word

Q: In what contexts can 'judge' take the place of 'infer'?

The synonyms judge and infer are sometimes interchangeable, but judge stresses a weighing of the evidence on which a conclusion is based. // judge people by their actions

infer

verb

in-ˈfər

Definition of infer next

as in to derive

to form an opinion or reach a conclusion through reasoning and information he inferred that she had left because her coat was gone

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

as in to indicate

to convey an idea indirectly the results infer that there might be a problem with one piece of the equipment

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How is the word infer distinct from other similar verbs?

Some common synonyms of infer are conclude, deduce, gather, and judge. While all these words mean "to arrive at a mental conclusion," infer implies arriving at a conclusion by reasoning from evidence; if the evidence is slight, the term comes close to surmise.

from that remark, I inferred that they knew each other

Where would conclude be a reasonable alternative to infer?

In some situations, the words conclude and infer are roughly equivalent. However, conclude implies arriving at a necessary inference at the end of a chain of reasoning.

concluded that only the accused could be guilty

How are the words deduce and infer related?

Deduce often adds to infer the special implication of drawing a particular inference from a generalization.

denied we could deduce anything important from human mortality

When is gather a more appropriate choice than infer?

While the synonyms gather and infer are close in meaning, gather suggests an intuitive forming of a conclusion from implications.

gathered their desire to be alone without a word

In what contexts can judge take the place of infer?

The synonyms judge and infer are sometimes interchangeable, but judge stresses a weighing of the evidence on which a conclusion is based.

judge people by their actions

Examples of infer in a Sentence

These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Recent Examples on the Web Though no direct evidence on the ocean exists to date, scientists have inferred its presence in several ways. —

Shi En Kim, Smithsonian Magazine, 22 Oct. 2024 Instead researchers infer their existence from imaging techniques that rely on the way seismic waves travel through them. —

Jeanna Bryner, Scientific American, 17 Oct. 2024 Instead of companies inferring information about users from messy data trails, users are telling them their secrets outright. —

Lila Shroff, The Atlantic, 2 Oct. 2024 This alone infers that Satoshi is either already dead or the kind of person who appreciates that the long-term potential of Bitcoin is far more potent than money alone. —

Sandy Carter, Forbes, 9 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for infer

Recent Examples of Synonyms for infer

Verb

The report noted that Google’s content investment is derived from YouTube and investment in programming via their revenue-sharing arrangements with content creators.

Brad Adgate, Forbes, 1 Nov. 2024
Cannabis refers to all products derived from the plant Cannabis sativa, according to the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health.

Greta Cross, USA TODAY, 1 Nov. 2024