different between seems vs imply

English

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /si?mz/
• Homophones: seams, semes

Verb

seems

1. Third-person singular simple present indicative form of seem

Anagrams

• Meess, meess, semes, smees

English

Etymology

From Middle English implien, emplien, borrowed from Old French emplier, from Latin implicare (“to infold, involve”), from in (“in”) + plicare (“to fold”). Doublet of employ and implicate.

Pronunciation

• (General American, Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /?m?pla?/
• Rhymes: -a?
• Hyphenation: im?ply

Verb

imply (third-person singular simple present implies, present participle implying, simple past and past participle implied)

1. (transitive, of a proposition) to have as a necessary consequence

2. (transitive, of a person) to suggest by logical inference

3. (transitive, of a person or proposition) to hint; to insinuate; to suggest tacitly and avoid a direct statement

4. (archaic) to enfold, entangle.

Conjugation

Usage notes

• This is a catenative verb that takes the gerund (-ing). See Appendix:English catenative verbs

Synonyms

• (to have as a necessary consequence): entail
• (to suggest tacitly): allude, hint, insinuate, suggest

Related terms

• implicate
• implication
• implicative
• implicit
• implicitness
• implision

Translations

See also

• connotation
• entail

Further reading

• imply in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913.
• imply in The Century Dictionary, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911.