Glossary:Implicature
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Implicature
/ˈɪmplɪˌkətʃə,/
Definition
the action of implying a meaning beyond the literal sense of what is explicitly stated.
Comment:
There are many different types of implicature, but they all consist of meanings which a speaker or writer intends to portray, but which he or she does not convey directly
Examples
Utterance: “A bus!” → Implicature (implicit meaning): “We must run.”
saying the frame is nice and implying I don’t like the picture in it.
Alan: Are you going to Paul's party? Barb: I have to work.
Related terms
Back to the glossary.
References and links
- Definition from Sil
- Definition of Implicature from the Online English Dictionary
- Definition from the Stanford Encylopedia of Philosophy
- Definition from Universal Teacher
Literature
Bieswanger, Becker (2008). Introduction to English Linguistics. Tübingen: A.Francke.