Imply vs Infer
Imply vs Infer Definitions ‘Imply’ (verb) means ‘indicate the truth or existence of something’. ‘Infer’ (verb) means ‘deduce or conclude something from available information’. What’s the difference between ‘imply’ and ‘infer’? Although both relate to implicit or indirect communication, there is a clear difference in meaning between the two. One synonym for ‘imply’ is ‘suggest’, …
Principal vs Principle
Principal vs Principle Definitions ‘Principal’ (adj) means ‘main; most important’. ‘Principle’ (adj) means ‘a proposition, theorem or idea’. What’s the difference between ‘principal’ and ‘principle’? It is easy to misspell and therefore confuse the two, but they are very different in usage and meaning. ‘Principal’ is an adjective, which combines with nouns like ‘objectives’, ‘components’, …
Ambiguous vs Ambivalent
Ambiguous vs Ambivalent Definitions ‘Ambiguous’ (adj) means ‘open to more than one interpretation; not entirely clear’. ‘Ambivalent’ (adj) means ‘having or showing uncertain or opposite views/attitudes about something or someone’. What’s the difference between ‘ambiguous’ and ‘ambivalent’? Because they share the same prefix (‘ambi’, meaning ‘both’ in Latin), these two words can be confused in …
Possible vs Plausible
Possible vs Plausible Definitions ‘Possible’ (adj) means ‘able to happen’. ‘Plausible’ (adj) means ‘likely to be true’. What’s the difference between ‘possible’ and ‘plausible’? Because they sound quite similar, these are two adjectives that are easily confused. Their meanings appear similar too, though it is important to understand the subtle difference. When you refer to …
Effectiveness vs Efficacy
Effectiveness vs Efficacy Definitions ‘Effectiveness’ (noun) refers to the degree to which something is successful in producing a desired result. ‘Efficacy’ (noun) refers to the ability of something to produce a desired or intended result. What’s the difference between ‘effectiveness’ and ‘efficacy’? Because they are superficially similar in meaning, these two words can be used …
Formally vs Formerly
Formally vs Formerly Definitions ‘Formally’ (adv) means ‘in a serious and correct way; officially’ or ‘in terms of form or structure’. ‘Formerly’ (adv) means ‘in previous times’. What’s the difference between ‘formally’ and ‘formerly’? Although these two adverbs look and sound similar, they mean very different things. While ‘formerly’ relates to a temporal element (something …
Allude vs Elude
Allude vs Elude Definitions ‘Allude’ (verb) means ‘mention someone or something indirectly’. ‘Elude’ (verb) means ‘avoid something’ or ‘escape perception, understanding or consequences’. What’s the difference between ‘allude’ and ‘elude’? Because they look and sound the same, these two verbs are easily confused. Not to mention that ‘elude’ has more than one meaning, which makes …
Precede vs Proceed
Precede vs Proceed Definitions ‘Precede’ (verb) means ‘come before something’ (as in a timescale). ‘Proceed’ (verb) means ‘move forward with a course of action’. What’s the difference between ‘precede’ and ‘proceed’? Although they look and sound similar, they have very distinct meanings. A helpful tip is to remember that the meaning of ‘precede’ relates to …