Definition of IMPLEMENTED (original) (raw)
1
: a device used in the performance of a task : tool, utensil
2
: one that serves as an instrument or tool
the partnership agreement does not seem to be a very potent implement—
H. B. Hoffman
3
: an article serving to equip
the implements of religious worship
Synonyms
Choose the Right Synonym for implement
tool suggests an implement adapted to facilitate a definite kind or stage of work and suggests the need of skill more strongly than implement.
instrument suggests a device capable of delicate or precise work.
the dentist's instruments
appliance refers to a tool or instrument utilizing a power source and suggests portability or temporary attachment.
utensil applies to a device used in domestic work or some routine unskilled activity.
Examples of implement in a Sentence
Noun
They eat with us, do the beach with us; the girls, K.C. and Jessica, buy kitchen implements for us, come over to casually straighten up, make beds, clear the dishes from the sink and the bedrooms … —Dave Eggers, A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius, 2000 In the toolhouse … there were also antique implements worn like prehistoric artifacts: an ancient oblong pink whetstone pointed at either end and soapily warped by all its use, and an old-fashioned square hoe worn into a lopsided metal oval … —John Updike, The Afterlife, 1994 There was a little implement called a lemon zester that she had bought from a door-to-door salesman. —Ann Beattie, New Yorker, 28 Dec. 1987
stone implements used in prehistoric times a sharp-edged implement used to chop wood Verb
A federal interagency group should develop and implement a risk management strategy to reduce human exposure to dioxins and dioxin-like chemicals in food, says a report from the Institute of Medicine … —Bette Hileman, Chemical & Engineering News, 7 July 2003 … drew scattered snickers when he implemented a dress code for Senate staffers … —Michelle Cottle, New Republic, 12 July 1999 States remain years behind in implementing child support regulations … —New York Times, 30 Dec. 1997
I wondered how I might best implement his plan. Due to high costs, the program was never fully implemented.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Most of the finds are in surprisingly good condition—a few have even been accompanied by paddles or tools, like net sinkers and an adz, a wood-cutting implement similar to an ax. —Jacqueline Kehoe, Smithsonian Magazine, 26 Dec. 2024 Liu and her colleagues observe that kitchen implements made from wood or stainless steel are widely available. —Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 24 Dec. 2024
His next challenge will be to implement a more balanced, physical offense. —Jeff Howe, The Athletic, 25 Dec. 2024 If implemented, the penalties could help shape Biden's economic and foreign policy legacies before Trump's inauguration. —Jeff Stein and Ellen Nakashima The Washington Post, arkansasonline.com, 25 Dec. 2024 See all Example Sentences for implement 
Word History
Etymology
Noun
Middle English, "supplementary payment needed to complete the sum due," borrowed from Anglo-French & Medieval Latin; Anglo-French, "appurtenances (as furniture or equipment) belonging to a household or property," borrowed from Medieval Latin implēmentum "making up to a full complement (of a former state, extent or value), item contributing to the entirety of a property, appurtenance, fixture," going back to Late Latin, "act of filling, replenishment," from Latin implēre "to fill, provide in full measure, fill up, occupy, amount to, perform, carry out" (from im- im- + plēre "to fill") + -mentum -ment — more at full entry 1
Note: Regarding the currency of the verb plēre in Latin see note at complete entry 1.
Verb
derivative of implement entry 1
First Known Use
Noun
15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 3
Verb
1806, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Time Traveler
The first known use of implement was in the 15th century
Dictionary Entries Near implement
Cite this Entry
“Implement.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/implement. Accessed 2 Jan. 2025.
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Last Updated: 2 Jan 2025 - Updated example sentences
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