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:
This repeated jostling helps explain why sea ice does not simply keep accelerating and spreading in response to the wind.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 18, 2026
Astronomers have struggled for years to explain how supermassive black holes appeared so early in cosmic history.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 17, 2026
They allow me to download all posted information into ChatGPT and have it explain in layman’s terms what the medical information says.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 17, 2026
The White House withdrew his nomination on Thursday in a short memo, which did not explain the decision.
From BBC ● Sep. 17, 2026
Wish I could have had a chance to explain.
From "Code Name Kingfisher" by Liz Kessler
Luke isn’t one to talk about himself, his father explains.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 17, 2026
"It can look about a second, or so, ahead into the future for 20,000 different kind of combinations of things that might happen," Storey explains.
From BBC ● Sep. 17, 2026
"Although lipids make up only a small proportion of rice, they are critical in determining its nutritional value," explains lead author Associate Professor Siddabasave Gowda.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 17, 2026
Emerging evidence supports a cautiously constructive view that the outcome stemmed from an isolated manufacturing or product-characterisation issue, Stanton explains in a note to clients.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 15, 2026
“Binding her broke her hold on them,” Alex explains.
From "The Manifestor Prophecy" by Angie Thomas
The new research suggests that many of these puzzling patterns can instead be explained by one basic process: collisions between neighboring floes.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 18, 2026
"We have our own political system, our own political process," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov explained recently.
From BBC ● Sep. 17, 2026
They highlighted cases of police misuse elsewhere, such as officers stalking romantic partners, and explained how Flock’s system can create “heat maps,” showing where a vehicle has been over time.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 17, 2026
The construction boom is the first significant US military activity under that compact, explained Ongerung Kambes Kesolei, founder of local think-tank the Congress Point Institute.
From Barron's ● Sep. 16, 2026
With the emotional heft of dead friends and relatives behind her, she explained away any doubts or spirit inconsistencies to believers and the spiritual press.
From "American Spirits" by Barb Rosenstock
But arguably more important than the art collection or the political strategy, and perhaps more important even than the dues collection, in explaining the Communist Party’s unlikely longevity, is the building we were in itself.
From Slate ● Sep. 18, 2026
But Laforge is the most skeptical about this strategy, explaining that its estimates have been off in the region of hundreds of thousands of dollars in recent years.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 17, 2026
"We also plan to stay here our whole lives," George adds, explaining that they are prepared to ride out any dips in the property market.
From BBC ● Sep. 17, 2026
When declining, Shatz always thanks the bride-to-be for the invitation, explaining that she hopes the woman-of-honor can spend time with her bridesmaids and closest friends.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 16, 2026
I didn’t think I’d have to do any explaining to Mama and Daisy about my monkey trouble, but I should have known better.
From "Summer of the Monkeys" by Wilson Rawls
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.
