implicit
Suggested or understood without being directly stated.
Examples
In a meeting
“There's an implicit expectation that managers respond to emails within 24 hours.”
Over coffee
“There was an implicit agreement that whoever cooked didn't have to clean.”
Why this word
implied
Implicit suggests something inherently understood without statement, while implied focuses on inference from what was said
understood
Implicit emphasizes what is necessarily contained though unstated, while understood is vaguer about mutual comprehension
indirect
Implicit means present but not expressed, while indirect refers to a roundabout manner of communication
Usage tip
The opposite of 'explicit'. Something implicit is real and understood but never formally stated. Watch for implicit bias and assumptions.
Etymology
Latin implicitus — in (in) + plicare (to fold), literally 'folded in', hidden within
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Related words
broach
To bring up or introduce a topic for discussion
concise
Giving a lot of information clearly in few words.
ambiguous
Open to more than one interpretation; not clear or decided.
convey
To communicate or make an idea, feeling, or meaning known.
reiterate
To say something again for emphasis or clarity.
paraphrase
To restate something in different words to make it clearer or shorter.