Make Your Point > Archived Issues > INFERENTIAL
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connect today's word to others:
Inside our word inferential is infer, Latin for "to bring in, or to carry in." Notice how the "fer" part in infer means "to bring or carry."
See if you can recall this related word:
From Latin roots meaning "carrying (matters) down (to other people)," the word d_fer____al means "respectful toward others in a humble way."
(To reveal any word with blanks, give it a click.)
make your point with...
"INFERENTIAL"
To infer a piece of information is to figure it out based on evidence and reasoning. (When the information isn't plain or obvious, or when people don't directly tell it to you, you have to infer it.)
An inference is the piece of information that someone figured out based on evidence and reasoning. (And sometimes, inference is the action or the process of inferring.)
Something inferential, then, involves figuring out information based on evidence and reasoning.
Pronunciation:
IN fuh REN chull
Part of speech:
Adjective.
(Adjectives are describing words, like "large" or "late."
They can be used in two ways:
1. Right before a noun, as in "an inferential thing."
2. After a linking verb, as in "It was inferential.")
Other common forms:
infer, inferred, inferring;
inference(s);
inferentially
How to use it:
Because the inferences we draw can vary between perfectly logical and downright fishy, the word "inferential" can have a neutral or negative tone.
Talk about inferential reasoning and thinking, inferential knowledge and information, an inferential understanding, inferential proof and evidence, and inferential abilities and skills.
Sometimes, people use "inferential" to mean "implied, implicit, hinted, suggested but not openly stated," as in "Even her inferential approval could boost our reputation." My suggestion is, if you mean "implied" or "hinted," then use those words, but if you mean "figured out based on implications or hints," then use "inferential."
examples:
For years he harbored an inferential belief that his friends secretly despised him.
The proof for evolution is merely inferential, sure, but so is the proof for gravity.
study it now:
Look away from the screen to explain the definition in your own words. You’ll know you understand what "inferential" means when you can explain it without saying "requires reading between the lines" or "involves drawing conclusions from limited information."
try it out:
Fill in the blanks: "(Someone) won't come right out and say it, so determining _____ requires inferential reasoning."
Example: "This professor won't come right out and say it, so determining what he really wants to see in our papers requires inferential reasoning."
before you review:
Spend at least 20 seconds occupying your mind with the game below. Then try the review questions. Don’t go straight to the review now—let your working memory empty out first.
Uncommon Opposites!
In each issue this month, I'll give you a rare word and its definition, and you come up with its more familiar opposite.
For example, if I say, "To exfiltrate is to secretly withdraw people from a dangerous situation," then you come up with the opposite: "infiltrate." Or if I say, "An allograph is something written by someone other than the person concerned," then you come up with "autograph."
We'll take these in order from easy to hard as the month goes on. Ready?
From our previous issue: Something diurnal happens daily, or it's related to the daytime, or active during the day. What’s the opposite?
Answer: Nocturnal.
Try this today; it's a silly one: To postvide against something is to get ready for it only after it’s already happened. What’s the opposite?
review today's word:
1. A close opposite of INFERENTIAL is
A. LITERAL.
B. TACTLESS.
C. AUDACIOUS.
2. On the reading test, the kids struggled the most with the inferential questions; they're still learning how to distinguish ____.
A. facts from opinions
B. wild guesses from safe ones
C. main points from minor details
Answers are below.
a final word:
Make Your Point is crafted with love and brought to you each weekday morning by Liesl Johnson, a reading and writing tutor on a mission to explore, illuminate, and celebrate words.
From Liesl's blog:
36 ways to study words.
Why we forget words, & how to remember them.
How to use sophisticated words without being awkward.
To be a sponsor and include your ad in an issue, please contact me at Liesl@HiloTutor.com.
Disclaimer: When I write definitions, I use plain language and stick to the words' common, useful applications. If you're interested in authoritative and multiple definitions of words, I encourage you to check a dictionary. Also, because I'm American, I stick to American English when I share words' meanings, usage, and pronunciations; these elements sometimes vary across world Englishes.
Answers to review questions:
1. A
2. B
Inside our word inferential is infer, Latin for "to bring in, or to carry in." Notice how the "fer" part in infer means "to bring or carry."
"INFERENTIAL" To infer a piece of information is to figure it out based on evidence and reasoning. (When the information isn't plain or obvious, or when people don't directly tell it to you, you have to infer it.) Other common forms:
For years he harbored an inferential belief that his friends secretly despised him.
Look away from the screen to explain the definition in your own words. You’ll know you understand what "inferential" means when you can explain it without saying "requires reading between the lines" or "involves drawing conclusions from limited information."
Fill in the blanks: "(Someone) won't come right out and say it, so determining _____ requires inferential reasoning."
Spend at least 20 seconds occupying your mind with the game below. Then try the review questions. Don’t go straight to the review now—let your working memory empty out first.
1. A close opposite of INFERENTIAL is
Make Your Point is crafted with love and brought to you each weekday morning by Liesl Johnson, a reading and writing tutor on a mission to explore, illuminate, and celebrate words. |