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sottintendere

to imply

verb sot-teen-TEN-deh-reh Rare
Communication Speech

Also means

to leave unsaid

Usage Note

Sottintendere is conjugated like intendere (irregular in the past historic: sottintese; past participle: sottinteso). Sottinteso used as a noun means 'an implicit understanding' or 'an unspoken assumption' — parlare per sottintesi means 'to speak in veiled terms.' Compound tenses take avere (ha sottinteso). The related adjective sottinteso (implied, understood) is very common.

Examples

"Le sue parole sottintendono una critica."

Natural Translation

His words imply a criticism.

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