inference
Reasoning from evidence
Inference is a conclusion reached through reasoning rather than direct observation.
You make an inference when you deduce something from available evidence: From the wet umbrella, she drew the inference that it was raining.
The verb is infer.
In logic and statistics, inference follows formal rules; in everyday use, it simply means reading between the lines.
Drawing logical conclusions
- conclusionEnd or deduction
- deductionConclusion from premises
- logicScience of valid reasoning
- syllogismFormal deductive argument structure
premise · argumentation · validity · soundness · cogency · coherence · implication · antecedent
Mental knowledge acquisition
- mental processActivity of the mind
- reasoningDrawing logical conclusions
- judgmentReasoned decision-making capacity
- decision-makingProcess of choosing actions
heuristic · bias · intuition · schema · working memory · metacognition · problem-solving · fast and slow
Unverified belief accepted as true
- hypothesisTestable proposed explanation
- speculationUnproven theorizing or risky investment
- surmiseGuess from incomplete information
- guessworkConclusions drawn without proof
supposition · presumption · tentative · unproven · educated guess · leap · reading between lines · implicit
Quantified chance of occurrence
- likelihoodChance something will occur
- estimationApproximate value judgment
- samplingExtracting subset for study
- classificationSystematic grouping by traits
regression · prediction · confidence interval · Bayesian · posterior · prior · model · parameter
Mental comprehension of something
- interpretationAssigned meaning
- meaningWhat something signifies
- implicationIndirect suggestion or consequence
- subtextImplicit meaning beneath words
context clues · reading comprehension · pragmatic · discourse · uptake · construal · gist · between the lines
Deriving principles from examples
- patternRecurring arrangement or template
- extrapolationExtending data beyond bounds
- probabilisticBased on likelihood calculations
- correlationStatistical relationship measure
trends · prediction · forecasting · heuristic · empirical · observational · sample · induction
reasoning
Drawing logical conclusions
- conclusionEnd or deduction
- deductionConclusion from premises
- logicScience of valid reasoning
syllogism · premise · argumentation · validity · soundness · cogency · coherence · implication · antecedent · consequent
cognition
Mental knowledge acquisition
- mental processActivity of the mind
- reasoningDrawing logical conclusions
- judgmentReasoned decision-making capacity
decision-making · heuristic · bias · intuition · schema · working memory · metacognition · problem-solving · fast and slow
assumption
Unverified belief accepted as true
- hypothesisTestable proposed explanation
- speculationUnproven theorizing or risky investment
- surmiseGuess from incomplete information
guesswork · supposition · presumption · tentative · unproven · educated guess · leap · reading between lines · implicit · unstated
probability
Quantified chance of occurrence
- likelihoodChance something will occur
- estimationApproximate value judgment
- samplingExtracting subset for study
classification · regression · prediction · confidence interval · Bayesian · posterior · prior · model · parameter · significance
understanding
Mental comprehension of something
- interpretationAssigned meaning
- meaningWhat something signifies
- implicationIndirect suggestion or consequence
subtext · context clues · reading comprehension · pragmatic · discourse · uptake · construal · gist · between the lines · implied meaning
generalization
Deriving principles from examples
- patternRecurring arrangement or template
- extrapolationExtending data beyond bounds
- probabilisticBased on likelihood calculations
correlation · trends · prediction · forecasting · heuristic · empirical · observational · sample · induction · analogical
- literacyliteracy, reading, spelling, alphabet, writing
- logic puzzlessudoku, skyscraper, tapa, cave, corral
- philosophy termstruth, reason, knowledge, wisdom, logic
- inferenceentailment, syllogism, deduction, abduction, logical deduction
- cognitive sciencecognitive psychology, cognitive science, cognitive development, cognitive load, cognitive maps
- Indian PhilosophyVedanta, yoga philosophy, Advaita, Buddhist philosophy, Upanishads
inferencedirect observation
Watching something personally occur
observation · experience · perception · empirical observation · direct experience
inferencepremise
Foundation for logical argument
axiom · assumption · given · starting point · postulate
- logical inferenceConclusion derived through reasoning