Definition

1. Noun:
   • The process of reaching a conclusion based on evidence and reasoning: "Inference" refers to the act or process of deriving logical conclusions from premises known or assumed to be true.
   • A conclusion reached through such a process: "Inference" can also refer to the specific conclusion or interpretation that is drawn.

Examples of Usage

• Noun:
  • The detective's inference about the suspect's motive was based on several clues.
  • From her silence, I drew the inference that she disagreed with the proposal.
  • Scientific theories often rely on logical inference from experimental data.

Advanced Usage

• "to draw/make an inference": to reach a conclusion based on evidence and reasoning.
  • Readers must draw their own inferences from the author's ambiguous statements.
• "by inference": as a conclusion that can be drawn.
  • He was not present, so, by inference, he could not have committed the crime.
• "statistical inference": a branch of statistics focused on drawing conclusions about a population based on a sample.
  • The study used methods of statistical inference to predict voting trends.

Variants and Related Words

• Infer (verb): to deduce or conclude information from evidence and reasoning rather than from explicit statements.
  • From the data, we can infer a positive trend.
• Inferential (adjective): relating to, involving, or derived from inference.
  • The argument was based on inferential reasoning rather than direct proof.

Synonyms

• Deduction: the process of reaching a conclusion by reasoning, especially from general principles to a specific case.
• Conclusion: a judgment or decision reached by reasoning.
• Presumption: a belief based on reasonable evidence or probability.

Related Phrases

• Logical inference: a conclusion reached through the strict application of logical rules.
  • The validity of the argument depends on the soundness of its logical inference.
• Inference engine: (in computing) a component of an expert system that applies logical rules to a knowledge base to deduce new information.
  • The AI's inference engine processed the rules to diagnose the problem.

Noun

1. 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