He didn't state it plainly, but the implication in his email was clear: our project was no longer a priority.

implication 是动词 imply 的名词形式，由前缀 im-（表示"向内"）和词根 ply（源自拉丁语 plicare，意为"折叠"）组成。字面意思是"把意思折叠在里面"，引申为"暗示、言外之意"。 在句中指虽然没有直接说明，但通过上下文可以推断出的隐藏含义。