What does implement mean?
Implement is chiefly a verb meaning to put a plan, decision, system, or policy into actual use. It carries a formal, institutional tone and is especially common in business, law, government, and technical writing. The related noun is older and less frequent; it means a tool or piece of equipment made for a particular task, such as an agricultural or military implement. The modern verb is not simply a synonym for “do,” because it emphasizes turning an intention or instruction into concrete action. Nor is it exactly synonymous with “install”: a system may be implemented by changing procedures rather than placing software on a machine. Implement also has a deliberately Latinate flavor, making it especially suited to formal prose, while plainer alternatives such as “carry out” or “put into effect” often sound more conversational. Its history reflects a shift from equipment to execution: the Latin ancestor concerned filling or equipping, while the English verb eventually came to mean carrying plans into effect.
To put a plan, decision, policy, system, or other intended course of action into practical use.
"The engineers implemented a more secure authentication process across the platform."
This is the dominant modern sense. It is formal in register and frequently occurs in institutional, technical, legal, and administrative contexts.
A tool or item of equipment made for a particular purpose.
"Farmers traditionally used wooden implements to prepare the soil before planting."
The noun sense is less common than the verb and is often associated with agricultural, military, or technical equipment; plural implements is usual when referring to several such objects collectively.
Use the plural when referring to several tools or pieces of equipment collectively, especially in agricultural, military, or technical contexts.
"The workshop contains specialized implements for cutting and shaping the metal."
From the toolbox to the policy desk, “implement” has traveled from Latin “to fill up” to the act of putting plans into practice.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of implement
Implement entered Middle English as a noun meaning equipment or an outfit, from Late Latin implementum, which derives from Latin implere, “to fill up.” The verb developed through French implémenter and Medieval Latin implementare, originally meaning to fill or equip, and acquired the sense “to put into practice” in the late 16th century. Its Latin relatives include fulfill and complement, both associated with Latin plere, “to fill.”
Related word forms
How implement is actually used
The verb is formal and institutional in tone, especially common in business, legal, governmental, and technical writing. The noun is much less frequent and sounds formal or somewhat dated; in modern use, tool or piece of equipment is often more natural.
Easily confused with implement
To implement a plan is to put it into action, whereas to complement something is to complete or enhance it.