explainer

noun

ex·​plain·​er ik-ˈsplā-nər 

plural explainers

: a person or thing that explains something: such as

a

: a person who makes something understandable

Modern day presidents must be good explainers of a complex world …

—Jonathan Alter et al.

b

: an article, podcast, graphic, etc., that explains something complex or not widely understood : an in-depth treatment of a topic

Each half-hour episode contained a big explainer of a complicated issue. The list of topics sounds like the arcane scraps from the cutting-room floor of most newsrooms—the amount of hidden sugar in food, civil forfeiture, the false hopes of lotteries, the failure of the American government to safeguard people who served as interpreters in Iraq and Afghanistan.

—David Carr

Inside, the issue contains a long explainer piece on how the subprime mess came to be and how it wreaked havoc on Citi, Wall Street and especially Merrill.

—Yvette Kantrow

Examples of explainer in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Stargazers hoping to get ready for future eclipses should read our guide to buying quality eclipse glasses online and read our explainer detailing how to safely photograph a solar eclipse. —Anthony Wood, Space.com, 21 Sep. 2025

YouTube is best for longer explainers and tutorials, while LinkedIn is right for business stories and testimonials. —Renae Gregoire, Forbes.com, 19 Sep. 2025

For fans who aren’t, here’s an explainer on how PSLs are used and how much revenue the licenses could generate toward a new Broncos development at Burnham Yard. —Luca Evans, Denver Post, 17 Sep. 2025

And look for dozens of episodes featuring genre-spanning discussions, debates, and explainers with Rolling Stone’s critics and reporters. —Brian Hiatt, Rolling Stone, 15 Sep. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1579, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for explainer

• abstainer
• campaigner
• complainer
• container
• coplanar
• detainer
• maintainer
• nonplanar
• retainer
• sustainer
• entertainer
• gainer