inference

Other forms of inference

plural

inferences·

Forms marked · are formed by the regular rule rather than recorded in the source data. English keeps a few hundred irregulars and the rest follow the pattern, so the rule is right far more often than not — but it is a rule, and the mark says so.

Questions about inference

What does inference mean?

inference means "the reasoning involved in drawing a conclusion or making a logical judgment on the basis of circumstantial evidence and prior conclusions rather than on the basis of direct observation".

How many syllables are in inference?

inference has 3 syllables: in-fe-rence. The stress falls on "in". In IPA it is /ˈɪnfɚəns/.

What is another word for inference?

Close synonyms include illation. Each sense on this page lists its own synonyms, because a word with several meanings rarely has one substitute that works for all of them.

Is inference a common word?

inference is banded "Uncommon" — turns up in careful writing rather than conversation. The band comes from how often the word appears in a large corpus of everyday English, not from an editor's impression.