To show or suggest that someone is involved in something wrong or illegal, or to involve someone in a situation or problem.
From Latin 'implicatus,' past participle of 'implicare' meaning 'to fold in' or 'to involve.' The prefix 'im-' means 'in' and 'plicare' means 'to fold,' so literally to fold someone into a wrongdoing.
The word 'implicate' originally meant to physically fold or wrap something together—over time it shifted to the idea of being tangled up in something suspicious. In courtrooms today, lawyers use this word to carefully suggest guilt without directly accusing someone, which is a linguistic way to protect against slander.
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