Implicit

Podcast 1 · Introduction

Implicit

A documentary-style narration: origin, meaning, and feel.

Part of speech

adjective

Pronunciation

im-PLIS-it  /ɪmˈplɪsɪt/

Definition

Implied though not plainly expressed; inherent in something by nature or necessity; (of trust or faith) absolute and unquestioning.

Plain meaning

Implicit means understood or present without being directly stated. An implicit criticism is one that you can understand without it being said openly. An implicit assumption is one that is built into an argument without being spelled out. Implicit trust means complete, unquestioning trust. The opposite of implicit is explicit — what is explicit is stated openly and clearly; what is implicit is contained within something without being said.

Register

Neutral to formal. Implicit is used across all registers. The distinction between implicit and explicit is fundamental in fields including psychology (implicit memory, implicit bias), computing (implicit types, implicit functions), law (implied terms in contracts), and everyday analysis (the implicit message of a policy).