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inference

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inference

 

  3  definitions  found 
 
  From  Webster's  Revised  Unabridged  Dictionary  (1913)  [web1913]: 
 
  Inference  \In"fer*ence\,  n.  [From  {Infer}.] 
  1.  The  act  or  process  of  inferring  by  deduction  or  induction. 
 
  Though  it  may  chance  to  be  right  in  the  conclusions, 
  it  is  yet  unjust  and  mistaken  in  the  method  of 
  inference.  --Glanvill. 
 
  2.  That  which  inferred;  a  truth  or  proposition  drawn  from 
  another  which  is  admitted  or  supposed  to  be  true;  a 
  conclusion;  a  deduction.  --Milton. 
 
  These  inferences,  or  conclusions,  are  the  effects  of 
  reasoning,  and  the  three  propositions,  taken  all 
  together,  are  called  syllogism,  or  argument.  --I. 
  Watts. 
 
  Syn:  Conclusion;  deduction;  consequence. 
 
  Usage:  {Inference},  {Conclusion}.  An  inference  is  literally 
  that  which  is  brought  in  and  hence  a  deduction  or 
  induction  from  premises,  --  something  which  follows  as 
  certainly  or  probably  true.  A  conclusion  is  stronger 
  than  an  inference;  it  shuts  us  up  to  the  result,  and 
  terminates  inquiry.  We  infer  what  is  particular  or 
  probable;  we  conclude  what  is  certain.  In  a  chain  of 
  reasoning  we  have  many  inferences,  which  lead  to  the 
  ultimate  conclusion.  ``An  inference  is  a  proposition 
  which  is  perceived  to  be  true,  because  of  its 
  connection  with  some  known  fact.''  ``When  something  is 
  simply  affirmed  to  be  true,  it  is  called  a 
  proposition;  after  it  has  been  found  to  be  true  by 
  several  reasons  or  arguments,  it  is  called  a 
  conclusion.''  --I.  Taylor. 
 
  From  WordNet  r  1.6  [wn]: 
 
  inference 
  n  :  the  reasoning  involved  in  making  a  logical  judgment  on  the 
  basis  of  circumstantial  evidence  and  prior  conclusions 
  rather  than  on  the  basis  of  direct  observation  [syn:  {illation}] 
 
  From  The  Free  On-line  Dictionary  of  Computing  (13  Mar  01)  [foldoc]: 
 
  inference 
 
    The  logical  process  by  which  new  facts  are  derived 
  from  known  facts  by  the  application  of  {inference  rule}s. 
 
  See  also  {symbolic  inference},  {type  inference}. 
 
  (1995-03-20)




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