Semantics examples of entailment

In semantics, the principle that under certain conditions the truth of one statement ensures the truth of a second statement. Also called strict implication.

• "[M]any, if not all, assertive sentences (statements, propositions) of a language allow for inferences solely on the basis of their meanings. For example, when I say Ben has been murdered, then anyone who has understood this utterance and accepts its truth will also accept the truth of the statement Ben is dead."
  (Pieter A. M. Seuren, Western Linguistics: An Historical Introduction. Wiley-Blackwell, 1998)
• Entailment Relations
  An entailment can be thought of as a relation between one sentence or set of sentences, the entailing expressions, and another sentence, what is entailed. . . .

We can find countless examples where entailment relations hold between sentences and countless where they do not. The English sentence (14) is normally interpreted so that it entails the sentences in (15) but does not entail those in (16).

(14) Lee kissed Kim passionately.

(15)
a. Lee kissed Kim.
b. Kim was kissed by Lee.
c. Kim was kissed.
d. Lee touched Kim with her lips.

(16)
a. Lee married Kim.
b. Kim kissed Lee.
c. Lee kissed Kim many times.
d. Lee did not kiss Kim.