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Guess vs Inference - What's the difference?

guess | inference |

As nouns the difference between guess and inference

is that guess is a prediction about the outcome of something, typically made without factual evidence or support while inference is the act or process of inferring by deduction or induction.

As a verb guess

is to reach a partly (or totally) unqualified conclusion.

guess

English

Etymology 1

From (etyl) . More at (l).

Verb

  • To reach a partly (or totally) unqualified conclusion.
  • To solve by a correct conjecture; to conjecture rightly.
  • He who guesses the riddle shall have the ring.
  • (chiefly, US) to suppose (introducing a proposition of uncertain plausibility).
  • That album is quite hard to find, but I guess you could try ordering it online.
  • * Shakespeare
  • Not all together; better far, I guess , / That we do make our entrance several ways.
  • * Alexander Pope
  • But in known images of life I guess / The labour greater.
  • *
  • (obsolete) To hit upon or reproduce by memory.
  • * Shakespeare
  • Tell me their words, as near as thou canst guess them.
    Synonyms
    * hypothesize * take a stab * speculate
    Derived terms
    * foreguess * guess what * guessable * guesser * guessing game * guesstimate * guesswork * keep someone guessing * no prize for guessing * out-guess * second-guess * you'll never guess

    Etymology 2

    From (etyl) gesse. Cognate with (etyl) .

    Noun

    (es)
  • A prediction about the outcome of something, typically made without factual evidence or support.
  • If you don't know the answer, take a guess .
  • *
  • Synonyms
    * estimate * hypothesis * prediction
    Derived terms
    * another-guess * anyone's guess * by guess or by gosh * educated guess * guesswork * guesstimate * otherguess * take a guess * your guess is as good as mine

    inference

    Noun

  • (uncountable) The act or process of inferring by deduction or induction.
  • (countable) That which is inferred; a truth or proposition drawn from another which is admitted or supposed to be true; a conclusion; a deduction.
  • Derived terms

    * deductive inference * inductive inference * statistical inference