- Main Entry:
- ex·plain
- Pronunciation:
-
\ik-ˈsplān\
- Function:
- verb
- Etymology:
- Middle English explanen, from Latin explanare, literally, to make level, from ex- + planus level, flat — more at floor
- Date:
- 15th century
transitive verb1 a: to make known <explain the secret of your success> b: to make plain or understandable <footnotes that explain the terms>2: to give the reason for or cause of <unable to explain his strange conduct>3: to show the logical development or relationships of <explained the new theory>intransitive verb: to make something plain or understandable <a report that suggests rather than explains>
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ex·plain·able \-ˈsplā-nə-bəl\ adjective — ex·plain·er noun
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explain oneself : to clarify one's statements or the reasons for one's conduct
synonyms explain,
expound,
explicate,
elucidate,
interpret mean to make something clear or understandable.
explain implies a making plain or intelligible what is not immediately obvious or entirely known
<explain the rules>.
expound implies a careful often elaborate explanation
<expounding a scientific theory>.
explicate adds the idea of a developed or detailed analysis
<explicate a poem>.
elucidate stresses the throwing of light upon as by offering details or motives previously unclear or only implicit
<elucidate an obscure passage>.
interpret adds to
explain the need for imagination or sympathy or special knowledge in dealing with something
<interpreting a work of art>.
