English Explanatory Dictionary

explain

English dictionary entry

Meanings

verb
  1. To make plain, manifest, or intelligible; to clear of obscurity; to illustrate the meaning of.
  2. To give the reason for, justification for, or cause of.
  3. To make flat, smooth out.
  4. To unfold or make visible.
  5. To make something plain or intelligible.

Pronunciation

/ɪkˈspleɪn/ /ɛkˈspleɪn/ en-us-explain.ogg /ɛksˈplen/ /ɛksˈplɛjn/

Word forms

explain explains explaining explained explane

Etymology

From Middle English explanen, from Old French explaner, from Latin explanō (“to flatten, spread out, make plain or clear, explain”), from ex- (“out”) + planō (“to flatten, make level”), from planus (“level, plain”); see plain and plane. Compare esplanade, splanade. Displaced Old English reċċan.

Synonyms

absolve clarify describe direct disclose explain illustrate inform instruct justify specify teach unravel untangle upsolve expound elaborate recce elucidate bring home

Antonyms

obscure

Related words

explanation explanatorily explanatory

Derived words

afore-explained dexify explainability explainable explain away explainee explainer explainify explainingly explanification mansplain misexplain overexplain please explain re-explain retain and explain -splain underexplain unexplained weedsplain Westplainer Westsplain Westsplaining

Translations

Albanian: shpjegoj Southern Altai: учур айдар Southern Altai: чечип айдар Arabic: شَرَحَ Arabic: فَسَّرَ Arabic: أَبَانَ Arabic: فهم Arabic: فهّم Arabic: شرح Armenian: բացատրել Aromanian: exiyisescu Asturian: esplicar Azerbaijani: başa salmaq Azerbaijani: izah etmək Azerbaijani: açıqlamaq Basque: azaldu Belarusian: аб'ясьня́ць Belarusian: аб'ясьні́ць Belarusian: тлума́чыць Belarusian: растлума́чыць Bengali: বোঝান Bengali: ভাষ্য করা Bulgarian: обясня́вам Burmese: ရှင်းပြ Burmese: ဖွင့် Burmese: လင်း Burmese: ဖြေရှင်း Catalan: explicar Chinese Cantonese: 解釋 /解释 Chinese Mandarin: 解釋 /解释 Chinese Mandarin: 說明 /说明 Chinese Mandarin: 闡釋 /阐释 Chuukese: awewe Czech: vysvětlovat Czech: vysvětlit Danish: forklare Dutch: uitleggen Dutch: verklaren Dutch: toelichten Esperanto: klarigi Estonian: seletama Estonian: selgitama Finnish: selittää Finnish: selostaa French: expliquer West-Frisian: útlizze Galician: explicar Georgian: ახსნა Georgian: განმარტება German: erklären German: erläutern Gothic: 𐌲𐌰𐍃𐌺𐌴𐌹𐍂𐌾𐌰𐌽 Greek: εξηγώ Ancient Greek: ἐξηγέομαι Ancient Greek: ἑρμηνεύω Hebrew: הִסְבִּיר Hindi: समझाना Hungarian: magyaráz Hungarian: megmagyaráz Hungarian: elmagyaráz Hungarian: kifejt Icelandic: útskýra Ido: explikar Indonesian: menjelaskan Ingrian: toimittaa Interlingua: explicar Irish: mínigh Italian: spiegare Italian: chiosare Italian: illustrare
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