adj
implicit
ihm-PLIH-siht
adj
1
Suggested or understood without being directly stated.
"There was an implicit warning in her tone of voice."
"The contract has an implicit assumption that both parties act in good faith."
2
Complete and unquestioning, usually describing trust or faith.
"The soldiers placed implicit trust in their commander."
How to Use Implicit
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishUnderstood without being said out loud, or (for trust/faith) total and unquestioning.
Common mistake
Implicit means unstated but understood; explicit means clearly and directly stated — the two are near-opposites, not synonyms.
Easily confused with
Common pairings
implicit bias
implicit trust
implicit assumption
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There was an _____ warning in her tone of voice.
Etymology
From Latin implicitus, past participle of implico ("to entangle, involve"); related to implicate.