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 Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of infer The Clovis people were known to brandish an array of pointy stone tools that archaeologists have inferred to be hunting weapons. —

Shi En Kim, Smithsonian Magazine, 10 Dec. 2024 The presence of tools associated with fishing at the camp, as well as the canine bones nearby heavily infers human interaction between the humans and canines. —

Paul Smaglik, Discover Magazine, 4 Dec. 2024 The common thread between PayPal, Klarna and Afterpay is that, if desired, users are able to opt out of sharing sensitive data, like demographic information inferred by purchase patterns or size estimates based on previous orders. —

Meghan Hall, Sourcing Journal, 28 Oct. 2024 The Google team also created algorithms to infer the evolving shape of the plasma over time from multiple indirect measurements, helping TAE understand how the plasma changed over the life of a shot. —

IEEE Spectrum, 25 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for infer

Recent Examples of Synonyms for infer

Verb

The original data was derived from the Ferrellgas Partners L.P Unit quarterly 10-Q report dated December 20, 2024.

Quartz Bot, Quartz, 20 Dec. 2024
MSMEs derive just 5% of their total sales from direct exports, one-third of the sales made overseas by large enterprises.

Kweilin Ellingrud, Forbes, 19 Dec. 2024