Synonyms

self-explanatory

American

[self-ik-splan-uh-tawr-ee, -tohr-ee, self-] / ˈsɛlf ɪkˈsplæn əˌtɔr i, -ˌtoʊr i, ˌsɛlf- /

Also self-explaining

adjective

explaining itself; needing no explanation; obvious.

self-explanatory British

adjective

understandable without explanation; self-evident

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of self-explanatory

First recorded in 1895–1900

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.

They played well enough for Martin O'Neill so the answer is self-explanatory.

From BBC

A mud ball is actually quite self-explanatory - it's when golf balls get covered in mud and dirt during bad weather.

From BBC

The title of the special “Lucky” feels self-explanatory given the life that you lead, at least the life people see.

From Los Angeles Times

The former England international continued: "It's not always self-explanatory, you have to have a little bit of a delve in so you can find out what the stories mean."

From BBC

Long Beach officials settled on the self-explanatory “Backyard Builders Program,” hoping a partial solution to a dearth of affordable housing lies in the unused spaces of city homeowners’ property.

From Los Angeles Times

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023