Words / C1

im-PLIS-it/ɪmˈplɪsɪt/

Implicit means suggested or understood without being stated in so many words. Native writers contrast implicit with explicit (spelt out). An implicit assumption is dangerous in argument because readers may not share it. Implied is the everyday verb form (the letter implied…); implicit is the adjective. Implicit in can mean “contained in.”

Meaning

Suggested but not stated directly.

Examples

• “There was an implicit warning in her email.”
• “The instruction was implicit: late work would simply be ignored.”
• “There is an implicit contrast between the two case studies.”

Good to know

implicit = not stated directly. Opposite: explicit. verb: imply. implicit in = contained in.

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