explicatory

adjective

ek-ˈspli-kə-ˌtȯr-ē How to pronounce explicatory (audio)
Definition of explicatorynext
as in interpretive
serving to explain most of the medical film's voice-over narration consists of explicatory remarks on the images being shown

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of explicatory But Reichardt has no interest in the kind of conventional storytelling that requires clues and revelations building to an explicatory conclusion. — David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter, 31 Aug. 2019
Recent Examples of Synonyms for explicatory
  1. interpretive
  2. interpretative
  3. illustrative
Adjective
  • For something quieter, there’s a riverside interpretive trail along the Nenana.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 23 Oct. 2026
  • In the soft light of dawn, an Ohio tourist studied the interpretive sign at the summit of Cadillac Mountain in Acadia National Park, reading about how magma formed the ground under her feet.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of interpretive
Adjective
  • Another way this plays out in the book is in my analysis of how re-translators often echo or follow one another, rather than looking afresh at the interpretative possibilities of the originals.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 8 Sep. 2026
  • The effects of such abstemiousness are less clear, though a pair of new movies point in two very different interpretative directions.
    — Alexandra Schwartz, New Yorker, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of interpretative
Adjective
  • The report describes two loans the bank structured for team owners, and labels both as illustrative examples.
    — Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 28 Oct. 2026
  • Elements and tenets of their forms will be compared and celebrated in illustrative lecture and demonstration by Chinese art scholars and artists, Zhai You and Fan Lei.
    — Jamie Chapman, Baltimore Sun, 28 Oct. 2026
Definition of illustrative

Browse Nearby Words

explicative
explicatory
explicit
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Cite this Entry

“Explicatory.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/explicatory. Accessed 31 Oct. 2026.

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