(Of a gradable term or construction) an implicature that no stronger value can truthfully be used; the use of a relatively lower-valued term to implicate that no higher value is true.
Origin
1970s.
Definition of scalar implicature in US English:
scalar implicature
noun
Linguistics
(Of a gradable term or construction) an implicature that no stronger value can truthfully be used; the use of a relatively lower-valued term to implicate that no higher value is true.