implique

Implique is the present tense form of the French verb impliquer, used for il/elle/on and as the first-person singular form j’implique. The verb impliquer has two broad meanings: to involve or engage someone or something in a situation or action, and to imply or entail a consequence. The sense depends on the object and context, and the form implication in English varies between “involves” and “implies.”

Etymology and forms: Impliquer comes from the Latin implicare, meaning to entwine or entangle, from in- (in) and plicare (to fold). In modern French, it is a regular -er verb with standard present-tense endings: je implique, tu impliques, il/elle implique, nous impliquons, vous impliquez, ils impliquent. The form impliqué is used in the passé composé and other tenses, while the expression cela implique means “that implies” or “this entails.”

Usage: Impliquer is commonly used to describe participation or involvement, as in Cette décision implique plusieurs partenaires or Cette activité implique des risques. It can also express that a consequence follows from a given fact, as in Cette mesure implique une augmentation des coûts. In legal or investigative contexts, être impliqué dans une affaire means to be implicated in a case. Note that “implique” can carry the sense of implication in both senses depending on the subject and construction.

See also: Impliquer, implication, implications, and related verbs such as inclure and engager. The noun implication (l’implication) and the adjective impliqué describe involvement or being implicated.