What is an implicature?

Definition
	An implicature is anything that is inferred from an utterance but that is not a condition for the truth of the utterance.

Example (English)

The expression Some of the boys were at the party implicates in most contexts Not all of the boys were at the party.

Source:

Gazdar 1979 49

Kinds
	Here are some kinds of implicatures:
	What is an actual implicature? What is a potential implicature?

Generic
	An implicature is a kind of
	What is meaning and pragmatic function?

Concept module: implicature
In overview module: Glossary (Linguistics): I
In modular book: Glossary of linguistic terms, by Eugene E. Loos (general editor), Susan Anderson (editor), Dwight H., Day, Jr. (editor), Paul C. Jordan (editor), and J. Douglas Wingate (editor)
In bookshelf: Linguistics

This page is an extract from the LinguaLinks Library, Version 5.0 published on CD-ROM by SIL International, 2003. [Ordering information.]

Page content last modified: 5 January 2004