inferring

inferring is the present participle and gerund of infer.

Meaning of infer

infer (third-person singular simple present infers, present participle inferring, simple past and past participle inferred)

(transitive) To introduce (something) as a reasoned conclusion; to conclude by reasoning or deduction, as from premises or evidence.
- It is dangerous to infer too much from martial bluster in British politics: at the first hint of trouble, channelling Churchill is a default tactic for beleaguered leaders of all sorts.2010 October 7, “Keep calm, but don't carry on”, in The Economist
Synonyms:

conclude, deduce, educe, construe
(often, proscribed, transitive) To lead to (something) as a consequence; to imply.
- a. 1535, Thomas More, letter to Fryth
  the fyrste parte is not the proofe of the second. but rather contrarywyse the seconde inferreth well yͤ fyrst.
Synonyms:

imply, suggest, entail
(obsolete) To cause, inflict (something) upon or to someone.
- faire Serena[…]fled fast away, afeard / Of villany to be to her inferd[…].1596, Edmund Spenser, “Book VI, Canto VIII”, in The Faerie Queene. […], London: […] [John Wolfe] for William Ponsonbie, →OCLC
(obsolete) To introduce (a subject) in speaking, writing etc.; to bring in, to adduce.
- Full well hath Clifford played the orator, / Inferring arguments of mighty force.c. 1591–1592 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Third Part of Henry the Sixt, […]”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard...

inferring (plural inferrings)

The act of one who infers something; the drawing of an inference.
- But since, according to Ryle, inferrings and intuitings are not distinct mental 'processes' at all, it seems to follow that counting, multiplying, etc., cannot be complex mental processes built up out of them.2015, Jacob Joshua Ross, The Appeal to the Given: A Study in Epistemology, page 141

plural	inferrings

What does inferring mean?: Inferring means the act of one who infers something; the drawing of an inference.
What is inferring the present participle and gerund of?: Inferring is the present participle and gerund of infer.
What part of speech is inferring?: Inferring is a noun.
What is the plural of inferring?: The plural of inferring is inferrings.

Adapted from Wiktionary: inferring (page history and authors); infer (page history and authors). Text available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 license. Word.ws reformatted the entry and added links. Wiktionary data of 2026-09-02.

Last updated: 2026-09-02

Cite this entry: “inferring.” Word.ws, https://word.ws/inferring. Based on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.