What is the meaning of inference? This article will tell you all about this versatile noun, its origins, and how to use it today.
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Kevin
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February 24, 2022
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The word inference is an interesting noun. This article will cover what inference means, translations, synonyms and antonyms, and the word’s origin. It will also provide example sentences to help you use this word independently.
What Does the Word Inference Mean?
According to Dictionary, the noun inference refers to a conclusion or derivation of thought from several assumed premises using degrees of probability. In short, an inference is a conclusion reached from a set of data. This can be mathematical data, logical data, or data that leads us to everyday conclusions.
The word inference is three syllables (in-fer-ence), and the pronunciation of inference is ˈɪnfərəns.
What Are Translations of the Word Inference?
According to Nice Translator, there are many translations of the word inference in languages around the world. You might notice many of these translations look or sound a lot like the word inference itself. This is because they have a similar ancestor or root word and therefore use the same base word.
- Dutch – conclusie
- Cantonese – 推理
- Welsh – Casgliad
- Arabic – استدلال
- Slovak – Záver
- Turkish – Kesmesi
- Danish – inferens
- Malay – Inferens
- Chinese | T – 推理
- Swahili – inference
- Croatian – zaključak
- Serbian – zaključak
- Thai – การอนุมาน
- Ukrainian – Висновок
- Estonian – järeldus
- Hebrew – הסקת מסקנות
- Catalan – inferència
- Hindi – अनुमान
- Portuguese – inferência
- Bulgarian – извод
- Norwegian – slutning
- Finnish – päättely
- Japanese – 推論
- Swedish – slutsats
- Italian – inferenza
- Romanian – Deducţie
- Czech – odvození
- Latvian – Secinājumu
- Afrikaans – afleiding
- Spanish – inferencia
- German – Schlussfolgerung
- Persian – استنباط
- Maltese – inferenza
- Vietnamese – suy luận
- Russian – вывод
- Korean – 추론
- French – inférence
- Icelandic – ófriður
- Lithuanian – Išvada
- Greek – συμπέρασμα
- Hungarian – következtetés
- Slovenian – Sklepanja
- Polish – Wnioskowanie
- Chinese | S – 推理
What Is the Etymology of the Word Inference?
The word inference, which is related to the word infer, has been used since the 1590s to refer to the action of inferring something. It has also been used since the 1610s to refer to an inferred conclusion. This word comes from the Medieval Latin word inferentia.
The Medieval Latin inferentia comes from the Latin word inferentem, the nominative version of inferens and the past participle form of inferred. This means to bring into, conclude, or deduce.
These words come from the roots in and ferre, which have Proto-Indo-European roots. The root in comes from the Proto-Indo-European en, meaning in. The root ferre comes from the Proto-Indo-European root bher, which means to carry or bear.
How Can the Word Inference Be Used in a Sentence?
Inferences can be drawn in various fields and situations, from the mathematical and logical to the deductive. By using the word inference in a sentence or reading how it is used, you can begin to learn how you can use the word inference yourself.
In clinical trials, the medical professionals drew mathematics and statistical inferences to reach a logical conclusion. The medication was safe for usage, and any adverse side effects were an anomaly.
Sheldon was certain that there was human inference in the alien abduction. As one of several artificial intelligence researchers, he did not believe these particular premises.
The publisher at Random House, Charles Sanders Pierce, made the inference of foul play when the awarding of the contract went to his colleague and not himself.
What Are Synonyms of the Word Inference?
Sometimes the word inference can have a fairly formal or logical connotation. If you are looking for a word with a different tone than the word inference, look no further than one of these synonyms provided by Power Thesaurus. This is just one of many ways you can use a synonym in place of a base word.
- allusion
- analysis
- assumption
- belief
- conclusion
- conclusions
- conjecture
- connotation
- consequence
- conviction
- corollary
- decision
- deduction
- derivation
- extrapolation
- generalization
- guess
- guesswork
- hint
- hypothesis
- illation
- implication
- impression
- induction
- insinuation
- interpretation
- judgment
- logic
- meaning
- opinion
- overtone
- postulate
- postulation
- premise
- presumption
- presupposition
- proposition
- ratiocination
- reason
- reasoning
- reckoning
- sequitur
- speculation
- suggestion
- supposition
- surmise
- theorem
- thesis
- thought
- understanding
- view
What Are Antonyms of the Word Inference?
Plenty of different words in the English language also have the opposite meaning of the word inference and are called antonyms. Power Thesaurus lists many antonyms of the word inference that you can use if something is not an inference but rather a logical truth.
- accomplishment
- achievement
- activate
- actuality
- actualness
- appurtenances
- basis
- beginning
- being
- business
- case
- certainty
- certitude
- commencement speech
- computation
- compute
- concrete
- contingency
- core message
- corporality
- corporeality
- evidence
- existence
- experience
- fact
- factuality
- faulty logic
- final answer
- hint
- truth
Conclusion
The word inference is a noun that refers to a logical conclusion that is drawn from a certain premise or set of facts. The word inference can be used in several different fields and situations, from logic and mathematics to deceptive reasoning. Try using this word yourself!
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