implicate
/ˈɪmplɪkeɪt/verb, noun, adjective
implicate is spelled I-M-P-L-I-C-A-T-E: 9 letters and 3 syllables. It appears about once in every 1 million words in written English, the 35,320th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a verb, implicate means “To show to be connected or involved in an unfavorable or criminal way” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).
How many letters and syllables are in implicate?
| Letters | 9: I-M-P-L-I-C-A-T-E |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 3 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | about once in every 1 million words; the 35,320th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation and the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How common is implicate?
Implicate appears about once in every 1 million words in written English, the 35,320th most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce implicate?
- /ˈɪmplɪkeɪt/
As a noun (“The thing implied”): /ˈɪmplɪkət/.
Implicate has 3 syllables (counted from its American pronunciation in the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: LL-Q1860_(eng)-Vealhurl-implicate.wav, LL-Q1860_(eng)-Vealhurl-implicate2.wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Forms of implicate
- implicates present, singular, he/she/it, plural
- implicating participle, present
- implicated participle, past
- more implicate comparative
- most implicate superlative
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does implicate mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
verb
- 1
To show to be connected or involved in an unfavorable or criminal way.
The evidence implicates involvement of top management in the scheme.
- 2
nonstandardTo imply, to have as a necessary consequence or accompaniment.
What did Nixon's visit to China implicate for Russia?
- 3
To imply without entailing; to have as an implicature.
- 4
archaicTo fold or twist together, intertwine, interlace, entangle, entwine.
noun
- 1
The thing implied.
adjective
- 1
rareIntertwined, enfolded, twisted together; wrapped up (with), entangled, involved (in).
- 2
rareused in implicate order
- 3
obsoleteInvolved, intricate.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Implicate in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does implicate come from?
First attested in the 15th century, in Middle English; inherited from Middle English implicaten (poorly attested), from implicat(e) (“wrapped, entwined; involved, connected (with)”, possibly also used as the past participle of implicaten) + -en (verb-forming suffix), borrowed from Latin implicātus, perfect passive participle of implicō (“to entangle, involve”) (see -ate (verb-forming suffix)), from plicō (“to fold”). Doublet of imply and employ.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).