implicate

verb

im·​pli·​cate ˈim-plə-ˌkāt 

implicated; implicating

transitive verb

1

a

: to bring into intimate or incriminating connection

evidence that implicates him in the bombing

b

: to involve in the nature or operation of something

2

: to involve as a consequence, corollary, or natural inference : imply

3

archaic : to fold or twist together : entwine

Synonyms

• enlace
• entwine
• interlace
• intertwine
• intertwist
• interweave
• inweave
• lace
• ply
• twist
• weave
• wreathe
• writhe

Examples of implicate in a Sentence

His business partner was implicated in the theft.

the implicated vines did form a most restful garden bower

Recent Examples on the Web

So for people who have been implicated, that's waking up every day thinking about what are the actions, what are the gestures, what are the words that might repair this history? —Belinda Luscombe, TIME, 4 June 2024

Warming temperatures are also implicated in drying out vegetation, which can contribute to larger, faster and more frequent wildfires. —Hayley Smith, Los Angeles Times, 2 June 2024

In a days-long spectacle, the Trump team filed a lawsuit and aired false accusations of fraud, including one wrongly implicating hundreds of members of the military. —Elizabeth Williamson, New York Times, 25 May 2024

Biden and Garland say the House Oversight Committee’s attempt to procure those tapes is a purely political effort that also implicates Biden’s privacy. —Henry Olsen, National Review, 21 May 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English implicaten "to convey (a truth) in a fable," borrowed from Latin implicātus, past participle of implicāre "to fold about itself, entwine, entangle, involve, embroil" (Medieval Latin also, "to imply, mean by implication"), from im- im- + plicāre "to fold, bend" — more at ply entry 3

Note: See also imply, employ entry 1.

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Kids Definition

implicate

verb

im·​pli·​cate ˈim-plə-ˌkāt 

implicated; implicating

: to show to be connected or involved

evidence that implicates him in the robbery

Legal Definition

implicate

transitive verb

im·​pli·​cate ˈim-plə-ˌkāt 

implicated; implicating

1

: to involve as a consequence, corollary, or natural inference

firing the federal employee because of her protest implicates the First Amendment

2

: to connect to a crime