Imply some begin fervently (5)
I believe the answer is:
infer
'imply' is the definition.
(I've seen this before)
'some begin fervently' is the wordplay.
'some' indicates the answer is hidden within the clue (some of the parts of the word are used).
'INFER' is hidden in the letters of 'begin fervently'.
(Other definitions for infer that I've seen before include "Take or gather meaning from" , "Imply" , "Conclude by reasoning" , "come to a conclusion" , "Take finer meaning from" .)