inferences

noun

plural of inference
as in deductions
an opinion arrived at through a process of reasoning that seems like a reasonable inference, but in this case it happens to be incorrect

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of inferences Matching records, including inferences, generally must be deleted unless an exception applies. — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 26 Oct. 2026 La Liga is yet to release distribution amounts for 2025-26 but, based on previous seasons and inferences which can be drawn from Barca’s latest figures, the amount the club must hand over to Sixth Street is in the region of €40million per year. — Chris Weatherspoon, New York Times, 11 Sep. 2026 Stevens allowed the case to proceed, noting there were multiple inferences to draw from the evidence and that one interpretation implicated Perillo. — Nate Gartrell, Mercury News, 8 Sep. 2026 Every industry needs people who can look at data, draw inferences from it, and act upon it. — Dana Taylor, USA Today, 20 Aug. 2026 Told in alternating POVs between a sorceress, a woman knight and a serving girl, this is a fever dream of a fantasy novel with plenty of room for readers to make their own inferences about what’s really going on. — S.m. Hallow, PEOPLE, 18 Aug. 2026 By holding an entire operational system in view in real time, an AI model can make inferences that human operators could easily miss. — William Bain, Forbes.com, 17 Aug. 2026 However, rocket watchers have made a few inferences from the limited available information. — Mike Wall, Space.com, 16 Aug. 2026 Wolf, with the Birmingham-Bloomfield Democrats, says he is not convinced the nation can draw inferences from what happens in Michigan. — Sam Gringlas, NPR, 1 Aug. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for inferences
  1. deductions
  2. conclusions
  3. determinations
  4. consequences
  5. decisions
  6. assumptions
Noun
  • Along with preventing that tax increase, the law added deductions for qualifying tips and overtime pay, as well as certain auto loan interest.
    — Tatiana Sataua, Fortune, 21 Oct. 2026
  • According to its June 30, 2026 petition, the IRS disallowed several million dollars in business deductions.
    — Carolyn Schenck, Forbes.com, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of deductions
Noun
  • However, experts urged caution when drawing sweeping conclusions from subgroup survey data.
    — Khloe Quill, FOXNews.com, 25 Oct. 2026
  • Gottschalck noted there are also relatively few strong El Niño events in the historical record to draw firm conclusions from.
    — Sam Hart, CNN Money, 24 Oct. 2026
Definition of conclusions
Noun
  • The federal government will then issue its final determinations, and what happens next will be unexplored legal territory.
    — Rosanna Xia, Los Angeles Times, 24 Oct. 2026
  • Prior determinations can also affect future payment expectations, budgets, reserves and overall health plan strategy.
    — Christine Cooper, Forbes.com, 20 Oct. 2026
Definition of determinations
Noun
  • One woman went to police, but the brothers appear to have faced no consequences.
    — Miami Herald, Miami Herald, 28 Oct. 2026
  • The hopeful part is the part where the people who are dealing with the consequences of that look toward their community, look toward their friends, look toward the people around them for support, for help, for unity—all of those sorts of things.
    — Sam Macdonald, Scientific American, 28 Oct. 2026
Definition of consequences
Noun
  • The two built the models that modern central banks use to stabilize the economy, shifting macro policymakers’ focus from big economic variables like inflation and unemployment to the actual decisions of individuals.
    — Dario Marino, Washington Post, 21 Oct. 2026
  • All of those decisions are risky, and Apple’s riskiest decision was the Duo’s size and shape.
    — Nilay Patel, The Verge, 21 Oct. 2026
Definition of decisions
Noun
  • Even watching a magic trick can challenge our assumptions about the world and stimulate more original thinking.
    — Julie Bourdin, NPR, 25 Oct. 2026
  • In the short term, slowing demand would mean lower emissions from the existing system than today’s baseline assumptions and less investment in new natural gas infrastructure.
    — Justin Worland, Time, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of assumptions

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Cite this Entry

“Inferences.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/inferences. Accessed 28 Oct. 2026.

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