| n. | 1. | The act or process of inferring by deduction or induction. |
| 2. | That which inferred; a truth or proposition drawn from another which is admitted or supposed to be true; a conclusion; a deduction. |
| Noun | 1. | inference - the reasoning involved in drawing a conclusion or making a logical judgment on the basis of circumstantial evidence and prior conclusions rather than on the basis of direct observation Synonyms: illation |
INFERENCE. A conclusion drawn by reason from premises established by proof.
2. It is the province of the judge who is to decide upon the facts to
draw the inference. When the facts are submitted to the court, the judges
draw the inference; when they are to be ascertained by a jury, it is their
duty to do so. The witness is not permitted as a general rule to draw an
inference, and testify that to the court or jury. It is his duty to state
the facts simply as they occurred. Inferences differ from presumptions.
(q.v.)
| (logic) | inference - The logical process by which new facts are derived
from known facts by the application of inference rules. See also symbolic inference, type inference. |