explanation

noun

ex·​pla·​na·​tion ˌek-splə-ˈnā-shən 

1

: the act or process of explaining

declined without any explanation

The company offered little by way of explanation for the problems. [=as a way of explaining why there were problems]

2

: something that explains

The professor's explanation was that the poem was really a parody.

Synonyms of explanation

• interpretation
• illustration
• clarification

Examples of explanation in a Sentence

The professor's explanation was that the poem is really a parody.

an explanation of photosynthesis that most museum visitors will be able to understand

Recent Examples on the Web

The White House did not respond to a request for comment on the conflicting explanations given for OSC’s role in the Pentagon’s equity deals. — Eleanor Mueller, semafor.com, 21 Sep. 2026

By contrast, fashionable abstraction may refuse beauty, intelligibility, or civic meaning, yet remain thin and dependent on institutional explanation. — Frank Porcu, New York Daily News, 20 Sep. 2026

But even if researchers determine that cancer rates are unusually high, Wiemels cautions there may never be a definitive explanation. — Julia Vargas Jones, CNN Money, 20 Sep. 2026

The New Lenox team’s first loss of the season came just a week after its administration announced Plantz’s ouster in a statement that offered little explanation, drawing thousands of signatures to an online petition demanding his reinstatement. — Lila Hempel-Edgers, Chicago Tribune, 19 Sep. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for explanation

• abdication
• aberration
• abjuration
• abnegation
• abrogation
• acceptation
• acclamation
• acclimation
• accusation
• activation
• actuation
• acylation

Kids Definition

explanation

noun

ex·​pla·​na·​tion ˌek-splə-ˈnā-shən 

1

: the act or process of explaining

2

: a statement that makes something clear