Learn English – Does a claim have to be explicit

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I have heard the claim that a claim must be explicit by definition, but do not see any definition that supports this.

An example of how "implicit claim" is used from this Wikipedia page on Fear,_uncertainty_and_doubt.

All three implicit claims have been disputed, and some of their
elements disproven, by environmental groups, consumer-protection
groups, and the industry self-regulatory Better Business Bureau

I would have thoughts claims can be implicit, either in the case of a point assumed for an argument without being stated directly or a point being made that leads most people to the same conclusion without stating it directly.

Essentially I had thought any claim made that is not stated directly but implied would be an implicit claim. Is this incorrect?

In English can claims be implicit, or can they only be explicit?

Best Answer

According to this paper, both explicit and implicit claims exist:

We argue that in selling a product or service or purchasing inputs, companies issue both explicit and implicit claims. The former refers to the contractual basis on which goods and services are sold or purchased by companies whereas the latter relates to company promises to stakeholders (employees, customers, suppliers, etc.) that are either too vague or too costly to specify in writing.

The paper is in the area of corporate reputation, but the concept of claims that are stated and claims that are implied holds for other subjects as well.

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