What does implicitly mean?
Implicitly means without direct expression, either because something is understood from the surrounding context or because it necessarily follows from the situation. A speaker may implicitly acknowledge a concern, imply agreement, or communicate a preference without putting it into explicit words. It is also used when an action or quality is necessarily involved: a particular choice may implicitly create an obligation or establish a connection. The word is especially common in formal, academic, legal, and analytical writing, where it can identify assumptions that are suggested but not formally stated. However, its indirectness can occasionally cause confusion, particularly in negotiations or disputes, because participants may understand it differently. For precision, writers sometimes replace it with “by implication,” “without saying so explicitly,” or a statement that names the implied idea directly. Though it can sound cautious or diplomatic, “implicitly” may also suggest that a writer or speaker is avoiding an inconvenient truth.
adverbWithout stating something explicitly, either because it is understood or because it follows necessarily from what has been said. It can also mean that something is necessarily or inherently involved in a situation or idea.
- Without being stated directly but being understood from the context.
- As a necessary or inherent consequence of something else.
"The proposal implicitly assumes that everyone involved will share the same responsibilities."
"The wording implicitly suggests that the deadline is flexible."
"The proposal implicitly assumes that everyone involved will share the same responsibilities."
Where an explicit statement puts the idea on the table, an implicit one can leave it neatly tucked underneath.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does implicitly come from?
The word ultimately comes from Latin implicare, meaning “to wrap up” or “entangle,” through the adjective implicit and the adverb implicitly. Early uses of implicit connected the word with something being involved or suggested within another statement. Over time, the modern sense developed into the familiar contrast between meaning that is stated explicitly and meaning that is conveyed indirectly.
Related word forms
How implicitly is actually used
Common in formal, analytical, academic, and legal contexts. In everyday discussion, it can sound vague if the unstated assumption is important or potentially contentious.
Easily confused with implicitly
Implicitly conveys meaning without directly stating it, whereas explicitly states the meaning in clear, direct terms.