illation

From Latin illātiō (“logical inference, deduction, conclusion”), from illātus, perfect passive participle of inferō (“carry or bring into somewhere; conclude”), from in + ferō (“bear, carry; suffer”).

• (UK) IPA^(key): /ɪˈleɪʃ(ə)n/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /əˈleɪʃ(ə)n/
• Homophone: elation (General American)

illation (countable and uncountable, plural illations)

1. The act of inferring or concluding, especially from a set of premises; a conclusion, a deduction.
   • 1646, Thomas Browne, Pseudodoxia Epidemica, I.2:

     Now herein there seems to be a very erroneous Illation: from the Indulgence of God unto Cain, concluding an immunity unto himself […]

   • 1690, John Locke, An Essay Concerning Humane Understanding:

     it so orders the intermediate Ideas, as to discover what Connection there is in each Link of the Chain, whereby the Extreams are held together; and thereby, as it were, to draw into View the Truth sought for, which is what we call Illation or Inference […]

   • 1974, Guy Davenport, Tatlin!:

     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 […]