illation n : 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 [syn: inference]

English

Etymology

Latin illatio, from the past participle stem of inferre.

Pronunciation

IPA: /ɪ'leɪʃən/

Noun

1. the act of inferring or concluding

   • 1974: Adriaan moved to Pierce’s American illation whereby an if begets a therefore, event by event, the javelin’s flight issuing from the web of contingencies in which we may locate the javelin and the javelineer — Guy Davenport, Tatlin!

2. an inference, a deduction or conclusion