explain
Americanverb (used with object)
-
explains,
present (3rd person singular)
-
explained,
past participle, past
-
explaining
present participle
-
to make plain or clear; render understandable or intelligible.
to explain an obscure point.
- Synonyms:
- explicate
- Antonyms:
- confuse
-
to make known in detail.
to explain how to do something.
-
to assign a meaning to; interpret.
How can you explain such a silly remark?
-
to make clear the cause or reason of; account for.
I cannot explain his strange behavior.
- Synonyms:
- justify
verb (used without object)
-
explains,
present (3rd person singular)
-
explained,
past participle, past
-
explaining
present participle
verb phrase
verb
-
(when tr, may take a clause as object) to make (something) comprehensible, esp by giving a clear and detailed account of the relevant structure, operation, surrounding circumstances, etc
-
(tr) to justify or attempt to justify (oneself) by giving reasons for one's actions or words
Usage
What are other ways to say explain?
To explain something is to make it plain or clear, or to render it understandable or intelligible. How does explain compare to synonyms elucidate, expound, and interpret? Find out on Thesaurus.com.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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explainernoun
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explanatornoun
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overexplainverb
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preexplainverb
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reexplainverb (used with object)
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explainableadjective
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misexplainedadjective
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nonexplainableadjective
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unexplainableadjective
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unexplainedadjective
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unexplainingadjective
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well-explainedadjective
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unexplainablyadverb
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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explainsimple
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explainssimple
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have explainedperfect
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has explainedperfect
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am explainingprogressive
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are explainingprogressive
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is explainingprogressive
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have been explainingperfect progressive
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has been explainingperfect progressive
Past
-
explainedsimple
-
had explainedperfect
-
was explainingprogressive
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were explainingprogressive
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had been explainingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of explain
First recorded in 1375–1425; late Middle English explanen, from Latin explānāre “to smooth out, make intelligible, spread out on flat surface”; see origin at ex- 1, plane 1
Explanation
To explain something is to define it, show how it works, or just tell what it is. Explaining helps people understand. If you know football really well, then you could probably explain it to a non-fan. Explaining makes things clearer. A lot of teaching is explaining — telling how something works. Also, if you do something wrong, people will ask you to explain your actions. Explaining can help someone "get it" — whatever "it" is.
Vocabulary lists containing explain
PARCC: Language of the Test (Grade7)
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Jim Burke's Academic Vocabulary List
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The SAT: Language of the Test, List 4
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
He questioned his students until it became clear whether they could explain what they claimed to know.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 28, 2026
That’s because there’s no plausible theory to explain why it should be more volatile than any other month.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 28, 2026
However, they provide new clues about the biological pathways that could help explain associations reported in earlier coffee research.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 28, 2026
While he has been clear on his ambition to make changes to the system, he has yet to explain how any changes would be funded.
From BBC ● Sep. 27, 2026
It wasn’t until we were back home that afternoon that I had a chance to sit Karl down and explain all about Lizzie, and her elephant story.
From "An Elephant in the Garden" by Michael Morpurgo
"The incredible people I've met through panels that the university hosted would take someone five to 10 years to get to that place," she explains.
From BBC ● Sep. 28, 2026
So, we’ve just been harmoniously in sync,” Aaron explains.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 28, 2026
Robin recounts the research he did for the book and explains why the history of bonds is more interesting than you might think.
From Slate ● Sep. 26, 2026
"Understanding how the brain balances energy supply and consumption may help explain what makes biological intelligence so efficient," explains lead investigator Yusuke Takahashi.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 26, 2026
“G-pens are traceable the moment you write with them,” Alex explains.
From "The Manifestor Prophecy" by Angie Thomas
She said her school never explained the reclassification process.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 28, 2026
"That's the hardest part," requiring "more forces and more complex calculations," explained Kathleen Curlee, a senior analyst at Georgetown University's Center for Security and Emerging Technology.
From Barron's ● Sep. 28, 2026
They also both owned cats while living at the house, which explained why a catflap was already at the back door when the Harwoods arrived.
From BBC ● Sep. 27, 2026
“At the time, the reason and intention behind me giving them their breaks was I thought they had valuable information to share that had been meaningful to me,” she explained.
From Salon ● Sep. 27, 2026
Quickly, Chip explained about the list of survivors and the list of witnesses, shoving the papers over to her so she could look for herself.
From "Found" by Margaret Peterson Haddix
Which is to say, Weber and Finger usually spend more time explaining and trading jokes about what each micro-celeb is known for rather than how celebrity itself has evolved.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 28, 2026
World News Day has grown since it began in 2018, and its message that "trusted journalism matters" aims to highlight the role of news providers in investigating and explaining important events.
From BBC ● Sep. 27, 2026
She found that Oz had a gift for explaining preventive medicine to ordinary people.
From Salon ● Sep. 27, 2026
Those microbes produced biomass carrying a light carbon isotope signature, potentially explaining the unusual signal preserved in the rocks.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 26, 2026
There was even less point in explaining that taking me out of sports would be like pulling him off the Chokecherry Chamber of Commerce.
From "Linked" by Gordon Korman
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
