From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishimplicationim‧pli‧ca‧tion /ˌɪmplɪˈkeɪʃən/ ●●○ W2 AWL noun 1 [countable usually plural]MEANING a possible future effect or result of an action, event, decision etcimplication of What are the implications of these proposals? This election has profound implications for the future of U.S. democracy.consider/discuss/examine the implications His talk will examine the wider implications of the Internet revolution.practical/financial/political etc implications2 [uncountable]GUILTY a situation in which it is shown or suggested that someone or something is involved in a crime or a dishonest act → implicatethe implication of somebody (in something) the implication of the former Chief of Staff in a major scandal3 [countable, uncountable]SUGGEST a suggestion that is not made directly but that people are expected to understand or accept → imply They are called ‘Supertrams’, the implication being that (=which is meant to suggest that) they are more advanced than earlier models.by implication The law bans organized protests and, by implication, any form of opposition.COLLOCATIONSadjectivesimportant/serious implicationsThe results of the experiment could have important implications for scientists.major implications (=very important or serious)The lack of affordable housing has major implications for families living in rural areas.profound implications (=extremely important or serious)The transformation of Europe has profound implications for the defence industries.far-reaching implications (=causing things to change in an important way)The cuts in social security benefits had far-reaching implications for ethnic minorities.the wider implications (=affecting more people or society in general)What are the wider implications of this change in the law?the full implications (=all the different effects)The full implications of the decision will become clear over the next few weeks.possible implicationsWe discussed the possible implications of oil price rises.practical implicationsAcademic research often has practical implications.financial implicationsManagers must be aware of the financial implications of their decisions.political implicationsThe court’s decision could have far-reaching political implications.legal implicationsWe have taken advice on the legal implications of our activities.social implicationsShe’s studying the social implications of different patterns of work.verbshave implicationsThis is an environmental disaster which will have implications for more than one country.consider the implicationsHave you considered the implications of your choice?discuss the implicationsThe paper discusses the implications of the agreement.study/examine the implicationsHe has studied the implications of recent technical innovations.realize/grasp the implications (=understand what they are)The government has been slow to grasp the implications of the current teacher shortage.
Examples from the Corpus
implication• First, he is keenly aware of the assumptions and implications of the work of both Guthrie and Linforth.• Equally clearly, it would have considerable implications for the staffing and structure of finance departments.• The project, Ecoforest 2000, was abandoned because of controversy over its social and environmental implications.• This has important implications for any school-to-work system.• It will be seen that various analyses proposed have both pre- and post-investment implications.• Such decisions may have substantial implications for individual and social welfare and the allocation of scarce resources.• He didn't actually accuse me of stealing, but that was the implication.• Staff members were asked to work on Sundays, with the implication that they would lose their jobs if they refused.• The implication is that cholesteryl esters may play an important role in the pathogenesis of alcohol induced pancreatic injury.• The implications of such reluctance extend beyond the teenage years.implication of• What are the implications of life existing on other planets?• Sales of butter have declined since the implication of fat in cases of heart disease.the implication of somebody (in something)• Afterwards John Lawrence and I discussed the implications of what had happened.• First we shall outline the implications of describing reading as a skill.• If this is so, what are the implications of this for practice in schools?• Rhone then prepared a discussion paper on the implications of the Better Communities Act for Phoenix.• Throughout 1992 meetings were held across the country for representatives of industry and colleges to discuss the implications of the new framework.• We will consider some of the implications of this in Chapter 8.• What are the implications of that for practices such as notification au parquet and service upon a Secretary of State?• What however is the implication of all this for the relationship of Bürgertum, or bourgeoisie, and bürgerliche Gesellschaft?by implication• The airline is among the youngest - and by implication the safest - in the air. 