explicate

1 of 2

verb

ex·​pli·​cate ˈek-splə-ˌkāt 

explicated; explicating

transitive verb

1

: to give a detailed explanation of

2

: to develop the implications of : analyze logically

explication

ˌek-splə-ˈkā-shən 

noun

explicator

ˈek-splə-ˌkā-tər 

noun

explication

2 of 2

noun

ex·​pli·​ca·​tion ˌekspləˈkāshən 

plural -s

1

: the act or process of explicating : explanation

he quite naturally brought to the explication of those principles tastes and predilections which were very much of his time

—C. S. Singleton

2

: something that explicates or that results from the act or process of explicating: such as

a

: a detailed description, exposition, or interpretation

a precise explication of how to drive an automobile

—C. A. Fenton

b

: a statement containing a logical analysis

Synonyms of explicate

Verb

• explain
• clarify
• illustrate
• demonstrate

Choose the Right Synonym for explicate

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

Examples of explicate in a Sentence

Verb

an essay explicating a theory

the physicist did his best to explicate the wave theory of light for the audience of laymen

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

Light and Space was always caught up in said complex too, as a recent show at the Palm Springs Art Museum memorably explicated. —Emily Watlington, ARTnews.com, 7 Apr. 2026

Gender presentation as a theme is suggested, rather than explicated, by the yin-yang survival modes pursued by Lady and her oldest friend Pinky (Amanda Oruh), the other girl in the opening sequence. —Sophie Monks Kaufman, IndieWire, 22 Jan. 2026

Haidt, who previously explicated many of his thoughts about Gen Z in the New York Times bestseller The Anxious Generation, used a powerful metaphor to explain the neurological consequences of this change: tree roots. —Emma Burleigh, Fortune, 6 Nov. 2025

Steeped in modern Japanese history without explicating it, director Sang-il Lee’s feature is propelled by operatic intensity and visual poetry. —Sheri Linden, HollywoodReporter, 29 Oct. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Verb

borrowed from Latin explicātus, past participle of explicō, explicāre "to free from folds or creases, unroll, disentangle, spread out, set out in words, give an account of," from ex- ex- entry 1 + plicāre "to fold, bend" — more at ply entry 3

Noun

Latin explication-, explicatio, from explicatus + -ion-, -io -ion

First Known Use

Verb

1531, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for explicate

• abdicate
• abrogate
• acetate
• activate
• actuate
• aggravate
• agitate
• alginate
• alienate
• allocate
• amputate
• angulate

Kids Definition

explicate

verb

ex·​pli·​cate ˈek-splə-ˌkāt 

explicated; explicating

: to give a complete explanation of

explication

ˌek-splə-ˈkā-shən 

noun