Definitions for explain
ɪkˈspleɪnex·plain

Princeton's WordNet(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. explain, explicateverb

   make plain and comprehensible

   "He explained the laws of physics to his students"

2. explainverb

   define

   "The committee explained their plan for fund-raising to the Dean"

3. excuse, explainverb

   serve as a reason or cause or justification of

   "Your need to sleep late does not excuse your late arrival at work"; "Her recent divorce may explain her reluctance to date again"

Wiktionary(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. explainverb

   To give a sufficiently detailed report about (a) the reason for something, about why something happened, about a causal chain of events; about (b) how something works, about how elements in a system interact; about (c) how to do something, about the steps which need to be accomplished in order to accomplish a certain goal.

2. explainverb

   To give a valid excuse for some past behavior.

3. explainverb

   To make flat, smooth out.

4. explainverb

   To unfold or make visible.

5. Etymology: explanen, from explaner, from explanō, from ex- + planō, from planus; see plain and plane. Compare esplanade, splanade. Displaced native arecchen, irecchen (from areccan, gereccan).

Samuel Johnson's Dictionary(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. To EXPLAINverb

   To expound; to illustrate; to clear by notes or commentaries.

   Etymology: explano, Latin.

   Such is the original design, however we may explain it away. John Ayliffe, Parergon.

   You will have variety of commentators to explain the difficult passages to you. John Gay.

   Some explain’d the meaning quite away. Alexander Pope.

Webster Dictionary(3.50 / 2 votes)Rate this definition:

1. Explainadjective

   to flatten; to spread out; to unfold; to expand

2. Explainadjective

   to make plain, manifest, or intelligible; to clear of obscurity; to expound; to unfold and illustrate the meaning of; as, to explain a chapter of the Bible

3. Explainverb

   to give an explanation

Chambers 20th Century Dictionary(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. Explain

   eks-plān′, v.t. to make plain or intelligible: to unfold and illustrate the meaning of: to expound: to account for.—adj. Explain′able, that may be explained or cleared up.—ns. Explain′er, one who explains; Explanā′tion, act of explaining or clearing from obscurity: that which explains or clears up: the meaning or sense given to anything: a mutual clearing up of matters.—adv. Explan′atorily.—adj. Explan′atory, serving to explain or clear up: containing explanations.—Explain away, to modify the force of by explanation, generally in a bad sense. [O. Fr. explaner—L. explanāre—ex, out, planāre—planus, plain.]

Editors Contribution(1.00 / 1 vote)Rate this definition:

1. explain

   To use words to provide data, detail, an answer, response, proof or information.

   The government are asked to explain the reason for their efficient and effective increase in revenue.

   
   

   Submitted by MaryC on February 14, 2020  

Matched Categories

1. • Inform
   • Justify
   • State

British National Corpus

1. Spoken Corpus Frequency

   Rank popularity for the word 'explain' in Spoken Corpus Frequency: #1356

2. Written Corpus Frequency

   Rank popularity for the word 'explain' in Written Corpus Frequency: #1107

3. Verbs Frequency

   Rank popularity for the word 'explain' in Verbs Frequency: #119

How to pronounce explain?

1. Alex

   US English

   David

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   Mark

   US English

   Daniel

   British

   Libby

   British

   Mia

   British

   Karen

   Australian

   Hayley

   Australian

   Natasha

   Australian

   Veena

   Indian

   Priya

   Indian

   Neerja

   Indian

   Zira

   US English

   Oliver

   British

   Wendy

   British

   Fred

   US English

   Tessa

   South African

How to say explain in sign language?

Numerology

1. Chaldean Numerology

   The numerical value of explain in Chaldean Numerology is: 1

2. Pythagorean Numerology

   The numerical value of explain in Pythagorean Numerology is: 9

Examples of explain in a Sentence

1. Kyle Cornwell:

   I know it sounds crazy but I am going to keep doing it, the community has been more involved than I can explain. It’s hard to explain the feeling.

2. Boerge Nordestgaard:

   You need doctors to understand when there is negative media to explain to patients the benefits of using this medication outweighing the negative effects they read about in the newspaper yesterday.

3. Jamal Ware:

   Without access to the relevant electronic information and stored data on the server -- which was reportedly registered to her home -- there is no way the committee, or anyone else, can fully explain why the committee uncovered two email addresses.

4. Tommy Thompson:

   It’s hard to explain the number of roadblocks, i don’t rest on my laurels; I’m working all the time here. It’s hard to communicate here.

5. Malak Hassan:

   We were shocked ... Israel is trying to polish its image by hosting this race, the UAE and Bahrain know a lot about our cause and there was no need for us to explain to them why they shouldn't take part.

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