What does explain mean?

Definitions for explain
ɪkˈspleɪnex·plain

This dictionary definitions page includes all the possible meanings, example usage and translations of the word explain.

Princeton's WordNet

  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

  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

  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.

ChatGPT

  1. explain

    To explain means to make something clear, understandable, or comprehensible by providing information, details, or reasoning. It involves breaking down a concept, idea, process, or situation into simpler terms or steps in order to convey meaning or clarify any confusion. The purpose of explaining is to help others gain knowledge, insight, or a deeper understanding of a particular topic or issue.

Webster Dictionary

  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

  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. explanāreex, out, planāreplanus, plain.]

Editors Contribution

  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

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?

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. Frank Luntz:

    I am not part of this, i’m not part of that system, I’m not part of that negativity. This is not something I was involved in this year, he said. I will leave it to others to explain and to try to get themselves out of this mess.

  2. Dora Cavalcanti:

    That phrase 'destroy email' meant 'explain' or 'refute' the allegations about the email.

  3. Getty Images:

    I apologize to her and explain that it has nothing to do with my love for her or my feelings for her, it just has to do with the fact that I feel like I'm a terrible burden to her. And that bothers me tremendously.

  4. Zoya Perevozchenko:

    I remember thinking 'Goodness it's hot' and some people were in masks. But they didn't explain things to us straight away, it was all secret. And the kids were running about barefoot in the puddles.

  5. Denise Stutzenberger:

    I told her, 'You are going to be my daughter-in-law, you just don't know it yet,' i don't know how to explain it. Something in me told me.

Popularity rank by frequency of use

explain#1#3082#10000

Translations for explain

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"explain." Definitions.net. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 18 Mar. 2024. <https://www.definitions.net/definition/explain>.

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