implicate

/ˈɪmplɪkeɪt/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈɪmplɪkeɪt/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈim-plə-ˌkāt/ (ame, mw)

implicate — verb

  • implicatepresent simple I / you / we / they
  • implicateshe / she / it
  • implicatedpast simple
  • implicating-ing form

1. to make it seem, or to provide evidence, that someone took part in illegal activ

1.動詞及物C1
釋義

to make it seem, or to provide evidence, that someone took part in illegal activity or shared blame for something harmful

例句

Phone records implicated Indra in the warehouse fire that injured two guards.

transitive: implicate [person] in [crime]

After the audit, two directors were implicated in the hospital's bribery scheme.

passive: be implicated in [scandal]

同義詞
  • incriminate

    stronger; suggests evidence that points more directly to guilt

  • accuse

    focuses on making the claim, even if proof is weak

  • involve

    broader and more neutral; it does not itself suggest wrongdoing

反義詞
  • exonerate

    to show that someone is not guilty or not to blame

  • clear

    less formal way to say someone is no longer under suspicion

文法句型

implicate + someone + in + crime/scandal

be implicated in + crime/scandal

用法筆記

Often appears in news and legal reporting. In active clauses, the subject is usually evidence such as records, emails, or testimony; the passive form 'be implicated in' is especially common when the speaker wants a cautious tone.

常見錯誤

❌The report implicated that the mayor lied.
✅The report suggested that the mayor lied.
💡'implicate' does not take a that-clause; it links a person or thing to wrongdoing.
❌Ishaan was implicated with the fraud.
✅Ishaan was implicated in the fraud.
💡the usual preposition is 'in', not 'with'.

2. to point to a thing, condition, or decision as one reason a harmful result happe

2.動詞及物C1
釋義

to point to a thing, condition, or decision as one reason a harmful result happened, or as something bound up with that result

例句

New lab results implicate a cheap additive in the children's stomach pains.

implicate [factor] in [medical problem]

Several experts now implicate online rumors in the rapid spread of panic buying.

implicate [cause] in [social problem]

同義詞
  • link

    more neutral and common in everyday reporting

  • blame

    more direct and less cautious about responsibility

  • associate

    weaker; can suggest a connection without causal force

反義詞
  • rule out

    to decide that a factor is not a cause

  • clear

    to remove suspicion from a possible cause or source

文法句型

implicate + thing/factor + in + problem

be implicated in + damage/illness

用法筆記

The object is usually a thing, condition, policy, or process rather than a person. This sense is common in scientific, journalistic, and policy writing when speakers cautiously identify one contributing cause instead of naming the only cause.

常見錯誤

❌The study implicated air pollution for the attacks.
✅The study implicated air pollution in the attacks.
💡use 'in' to link the factor to the harmful result.