Entailment: meaning, definitions and examples

Use 'entailment' in logical or semantic discussions when you want to express that one thing necessarily follows from another. It's often used in philosophical or theoretical contexts.

• The entailment of his argument is that all humans must have rights

Use 'implication' when you want to indicate something that is suggested or inferred indirectly, rather than being explicitly stated. It's often used in contexts where reading between the lines is required.

• Her tone had the implication that she was not happy with the decision

Use 'consequence' when discussing the results or effects of actions, events, or decisions. It is often used in everyday language to highlight outcomes that can be either positive or negative.

• Skipping school has its consequences, such as falling behind in your studies

Typically used in logical or philosophical discussions to describe a necessary consequence or condition that logically follows from a premise.

• The entailment of A implies B means that if A is true, then B must also be true.
• His argument has several entailments that need to be considered.

Commonly used in everyday language to refer to the suggestion or potential consequence of a statement or action. It often carries a connotation of something that is not directly stated but can be inferred.

• The implications of her words were clear to everyone in the room.
• What are the implications of this decision for our future plans?

Used when referring to the process of drawing a conclusion based on evidence and reasoning. It is often used in scientific, logical, and everyday contexts.

• Based on the data, the scientist made a reasonable inference.
• His inference from the clues was that she was not telling the truth.