Definition

1. Adjective:
   • Expressing or preceding an inference: Used to describe a word, phrase, or grammatical element that introduces a conclusion or inference.
   • Resembling, dependent on, or arrived at by inference: Describes a conclusion or reasoning process that is derived from evidence or premises rather than being directly stated.
   • Relating to or having the nature of illation or inference: Pertaining to the mental faculty or logical process of drawing conclusions.

Usage Examples

• Adjective:
  • Words like "therefore" and "hence" are classic illative conjunctions.
  • The argument's final point was purely illative, based entirely on the preceding evidence.
  • Philosophers study the illative processes of the human mind.

Advanced Usage

• Illative sense: A term in philosophy, particularly associated with John Henry Newman, referring to the personal, implicit reasoning that leads to certitude in concrete matters.
  • Newman argued that the illative sense is crucial for forming religious belief.
• Illative case: A grammatical case in some languages (e.g., Finnish, Estonian) that expresses the meaning "into (the inside of)".
  • In Finnish, the word "talo-on" (into the house) uses the illative case.

Variants and Related Words

• Illation (n): The act of inferring or drawing a conclusion; the conclusion itself.
  • His final statement was a logical illation from the data.
• Inferential (adj): Similar in meaning, relating to or involving inference.

Synonyms

• Inferential: Relating to the process of inference.
• Deductive: Reasoning from the general to the particular (a specific type of illative reasoning).
• Conclusive: Serving to settle or decide.

Antonyms

• Non-inferential: Not involving inference.
• Assertoric: Stating a fact directly without explicit inferential structure.
• Premissory: Relating to or functioning as a premise, rather than a conclusion.

Notes on Usage

• Illative is a formal, primarily academic term used in logic, philosophy, linguistics, and rhetoric.
• It is not commonly used in everyday conversation. In general contexts, words like "conclusive," "deductive," or simply "inferential" are more frequent.
• When used in grammar (e.g., the illative case), it is a technical term specific to the study of certain languages.

Adjective

1. expressing or preceding an inference
   • `therefore' is an illative word
2. resembling or dependent on or arrived at by inference
   • an illative conclusion
   • inferential reasoning
3. relating to or having the nature of illation or inference
   • the illative faculty of the mind