Conventional Implicature
Pattern
Word/construction→fixed inference — lexically encoded implied meaning
Definition
An inference that is built into the meaning of specific words or constructions, independent of context. Unlike conversational implicature, it cannot be cancelled and does not depend on cooperative assumptions.
Examples
Example 1
'She is poor but honest.' — the word 'but' conventionally implies that poverty and honesty are unexpected together. The contrast implicature is built into 'but' itself.
AI Detection Note
AI uses conventional implicature-carrying words frequently ('but', 'even', 'yet', 'still') but doesn't always attend to the implications they carry. Using 'but' when no contrast is intended is a common AI error.
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