infer
to reach a conclusion from evidence
Roots
- fer / bear: carry or bring
- in- / im- (in/into): in, into, within, or on
Other words with the fer / bear root
- circumference: distance around a circle
- deference: respectful yielding to another person's judgment
- inference: a conclusion reached from evidence
- offer: to present or give for consideration
- proliferate: to multiply or spread rapidly
- proliferation: rapid increase or multiplication
Infer brings a conclusion into the mind from clues already on the page.
From the repeated dates she inferred that the passage was arranged chronologically.
Imply and infer are a useful pair. A writer implies by folding meaning into words. A reader infers by bringing a conclusion from those words and clues.