explicit

American  

[ik-splis-it] / ɪkˈsplɪs ɪt /

adjective

1. fully and clearly expressed or demonstrated; leaving nothing merely implied; unequivocal.

   explicit instructions; an explicit act of violence; explicit language.

   Synonyms:

   unambiguous, exact, precise, definite, express

   Antonyms:

   ambiguous, indefinite

2. clearly developed or formulated.

   explicit knowledge; explicit belief.

3. definite and unreserved in expression; outspoken.

   He was quite explicit as to what he expected us to do for him.

   Synonyms:

   unabashed, forthright, open

4. having sexual acts or nudity clearly depicted.

   explicit movies; explicit books.

5. Mathematics. (of a function) having the dependent variable expressed directly in terms of the independent variables, as y = 3 x + 4.

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explicit ¹ British  

/ ɪkˈsplɪsɪt /

adjective

1. precisely and clearly expressed, leaving nothing to implication; fully stated

   explicit instructions

2. graphically detailed, leaving little to the imagination

   sexually explicit scenes

3. openly expressed without reservations; unreserved

4. maths (of a function) having an equation of the form y=f ( x ), in which y is expressed directly in terms of x, as in y=x ⁴ + x + z Compare implicit

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explicit ² British  

/ ɪkˈsplɪsɪt /

1. the end; an indication, used esp by medieval scribes, of the end of a book, part of a manuscript, etc

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Other Word Forms

• explicitly adverb
• explicitness noun
• overexplicit adjective
• quasi-explicit adjective
• superexplicit adjective
• unexplicit adjective

Etymology

Origin of explicit

First recorded in 1605–15; from Latin explicitus “unfolded, set forth,” variant past participle of explicāre; explicate

Example Sentences

The Fed adopted an explicit inflation target of 2%, as measured by the annual change in the personal consumption expenditures, or PCE, price index, in January 2012 and re-affirmed that target in January 2026.

From Barron's • Mar. 31, 2026

Jack Dorsey, who leads financial technology firm Block, has been even more explicit about his aims.

From BBC • Mar. 29, 2026

“I’d rather meet them where they are and fold it into an explicit risk budget than pretend it doesn’t exist,” said Patrick Huey, a certified financial planner in Naples, Fla.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 20, 2026

Iran’s government is an explicit theocracy with the ayatollah, the supreme leader, maintaining both a religious and political role.

From Salon • Mar. 15, 2026

Even if Mendel was aware of a potential connection between his “units of heredity” and evolution—his prior notes had certainly indicated that he had sought such a link—he made no explicit comments on the topic.

From "The Gene" by Siddhartha Mukherjee

Related Words

• accurate
• categorical
• certain
• clear
• clear-cut
• correct
• definite
• definitive
• exact
• obvious
• positive
• precise
• straightforward
• unequivocal