Standard Lemma guide

entailment

noun · 4 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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  • /ɛnˈteɪl.mənt/
  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.

1

noun

Meaning 1

The act of logically entailing, the state of being entailed, or something that is entailed.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

Examples

  • Entailment does not imply causation: if a set of premisses entail a conclusion, that does not mean (necessarily) that they cause that conclusion to be true.
  • An argument hinges upon entailment whereas an if-then sentence hinges upon implication.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

The act of setting up an entail to restrict inheritance.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

An entail.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, nonstandard, uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

noun

Meaning 4

something that is inferred (deduced or entailed or implied)

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • his resignation had political implications

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: deduction, implication

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: inference, illation

History

Etymology

Etymology tree English entail Proto-Indo-European *-mn̥ Proto-Indo-European *-mn̥tom Proto-Italic *-mentom Latin -mentum Old French -mentbor. Middle English -ment English -ment English entailment From entail + -ment.

Across languages

Translations

10 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Dutch: implicatie — state of being entailed
  • French: implication — state of being entailed
  • German: Bedingtheit — state of being entailed
  • German: Erfordernis — state of being entailed
  • German: Implikation — state of being entailed
  • Hungarian: ősiség — state of being entailed
  • Italian: implicazione — state of being entailed
  • Polish: implikacja — state of being entailed
  • Polish: wynikanie — state of being entailed
  • Russian: импликация (implikacija) — state of being entailed