Implied

How to spell implied

7 letters · 2 syllables

How to pronounce implied

Say the part in capitals loudest.

What does implied mean?

1. verbSuggested or indicated something indirectly rather than stating it openly.
2. adjectiveUnderstood or suggested though not expressed in words.

Implied in a sentence

• verb

  Her tone implied that the deadline was no longer flexible.

• adjective

  The agreement carried an implied promise to keep the information confidential.

• verb

  The manager never said so outright, but he implied that layoffs were coming.

• adjective

  Most goods come with an implied warranty that they are fit for use.

Where does implied come from?

Language of origin: Latin

This is the past tense of the verb 'imply', which English took from the Old French 'emplier' in the late 1300s, itself descended from the Latin 'implicare'. That Latin verb was built from 'in' (in or into) and 'plicare' (to fold), so it literally meant to fold something in or to enfold, and from there to involve or entangle. The sense slid over time from physically wrapping something up to wrapping a meaning inside words without stating it outright, which is exactly our modern 'to suggest indirectly'. The same 'plicare' root for folding sits inside a whole family of relatives such as 'complicated', 'replica', 'employ', and 'implicate', all carrying the idea of folding or layering. The spelling trap is the shift from 'imply' to 'implied': the final 'y' turns into 'ie' before the 'd', so writers must remember the 'ied' ending rather than 'yed'.

How the word is built

• im- (in, into)
• -ply- (from Latin plicare: to fold)
• -ied (past tense/participle suffix, -y becoming -ied)