implicature

Implicature, in linguistics, refers to the meaning that is conveyed by a speaker but not explicitly stated. This concept is central to pragmatics, the study of how context contributes to meaning. Philosopher H.P. Grice developed a theory explaining how people understand these implied meanings.

Grice proposed that conversations are guided by a cooperative principle, along with maxims such as being truthful, relevant, and informative. When speakers appear to violate these maxims, hearers infer an implicature. For example, if someone asks for a recommendation and the response only mentions punctuality and good penmanship, the implicature is that the applicant is not qualified, as more positive information would have been provided if available. This allows for efficient communication by conveying more than what is literally said.12