entailment: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
C1Formal, Academic, Technical
Quick answer
What does “entailment” mean?
A necessary consequence or logical implication that follows from a given set of facts, conditions, or premises.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
A necessary consequence or logical implication that follows from a given set of facts, conditions, or premises.
In law, an old form of property inheritance that restricts how land can be passed on; in linguistics and logic, a relationship where one statement implies the truth of another.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant difference in core meaning. The historical legal sense of property inheritance is now largely obsolete everywhere but is more likely referenced in historical British contexts.
Connotations
Neutral/logical in both varieties.
Frequency
Slightly higher frequency in British academic texts due to the historical legal term, but this difference is minimal.
Grammar
How to Use “entailment” in a Sentence
The entailment of X from Yan entailment between A and BVocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “entailment” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- Does accepting the premise *entail* agreeing with the conclusion?
- The new regulations will *entail* significant costs for the industry.
American English
- The plan *entails* a complete overhaul of the system.
- Success in this role *entails* working long hours.
adverb
British English
- [No standard adverbial form.]
American English
- [No standard adverbial form.]
adjective
British English
- [No standard adjectival form. 'Entailed' is a verb participle.]
American English
- [No standard adjectival form. 'Entailed' is a verb participle.]
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Almost never used.
Academic
Central term in logic, philosophy of language, and linguistics to describe necessary relationships between propositions.
Everyday
Very rarely used; 'implication' or 'means that' are preferred.
Technical
Precise term in formal semantics, AI, and legal history.
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “entailment”
Vocabulary
Antonyms of “entailment”
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “entailment”
- Using it to mean a 'possible' outcome instead of a *necessary* one.
- Confusing 'entailment' (logical necessity) with 'presupposition' (background assumption).
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
In casual speech, they are often synonyms. In technical fields (logic, semantics), 'entailment' is a relationship between statements or propositions (if P is true, Q must be true), while 'implication' often refers to a logical connective (the 'if...then...' statement itself, e.g., P → Q).
It is very formal. In everyday situations, people use simpler phrases like 'means that', 'involves', 'leads to', or 'results in'. Using 'entailment' might sound overly academic.
Primarily, yes. The related verb is 'to entail'. There is no common adjective or adverb form.
It referred to a restriction in a will or deed that prevented a piece of land (an 'entailed estate') from being sold or given away, forcing it to be inherited by a specific line of descendants. This practice is now largely obsolete.
A necessary consequence or logical implication that follows from a given set of facts, conditions, or premises.
Entailment is usually formal, academic, technical in register.
Entailment: in British English it is pronounced /ɪnˈteɪl.mənt/, and in American English it is pronounced /ɛnˈteɪl.mənt/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “[No common idioms for this highly technical term]”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of a train on a RAIL. The track ENTAILs (forces) the train to go a certain way. An 'entailment' is a conclusion forced by the logical 'track' of an argument.
Conceptual Metaphor
LOGICAL RELATIONSHIPS ARE PATHS (One statement *leads* to another). CONSEQUENCES ARE POSSESSIONS (The premise *has* certain entailments).
Practice
Quiz
Which of the following best describes an 'entailment'?