implicate

CEFRC1

/ˈɪmplɪkeɪt/

verb

Türkçe translations

Translating…

In plain English

  1. 01

    verb

    To show that someone may be involved in a problem.

  2. 02

    verb

    Extra detail

    To imply without entailing; to have as an implicature.

Examples

  • He refused to say anything that might implicate his friends.

  • If you implicate me, I'm warning you, I won't go down alone.

At a glance

Sits at C1 on the CEFR scale

Senses
5
Parts of speech
1
Citations
3
Synonyms
5

Also pronounced

  • /ˈɪmplɪkət/

Deep Dive

verb

Extra meanings

  1. To imply, to have as a necessary consequence or accompaniment.

  2. To show to be connected or involved in an unfavorable or criminal way.

  3. To fold or twist together, intertwine, interlace, entangle, entwine.

More examples

In context

  • Tom doesn't want to implicate himself.

  • The evidence implicates involvement of top management in the scheme.

  • What did Nixon's visit to China implicate for Russia?

Synonyms

Quick test

Two questions on this entry. Nothing is scored.

Question 1 · Quick check

The detective found evidence that seemed to blank the suspect in the robbery.

Practise this properly in the app, where the word comes back before you forget it.

Nearby

Origin

verb

First attested in the 15th century, in Middle English; inherited from Middle English implicaten (poorly attested), from implicat(e) (“wrapped, entwined; involved, connected (with)”, possibly also used as the past participle of implicaten) + -en (verb-forming suffix), borrowed from Latin implicātus, perfect passive participle of implicō (“to entangle, involve”) (see -ate (verb-forming suffix)), from plicō (“to fold”). Doublet of imply and employ.