I am looking for an antonym of implication that is related in the same way that implied and explicit are related, where explicit means "expressed". This antonym should also fit the following analogy:
Imply is to state as implication is to _____.
Example:
Alice: "Your argument/statement implies X."
Bob: "But what I explicitly stated contradicts your perceived implication!"
I think it would be very nice to use a word that would mean the exact opposite of implication to emphasize how incorrect a perceived implication is when it contradicts what someone had plainly said or written.
Bob could say, "But my statement/explanation/argument contradicts your perceived implication," which gets the point across, but IMO doesn't convey the full gravity of Alice's blunder that an antonym of implication would. Bob wants to succinctly emphasize that what was plainly stated, when taken at face value, contradicts what Alice thought was implied.
M-W defines explicate as "to give a detailed explanation of." Does that mean that explication is a "detailed explanation"? If so, explication would function well if Bob had indeed provided a detailed explanation or argument. However, if Bob had simply offered a statement or two, I don't think explication would work well.
In short, Bob should say: "My __ contradicts your perceived implication."