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

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

Etymology

Origin of explicit

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

Explanation

Anything explicit is completely clear and includes details. If you don't want your little brother to become a snake snack, you'll need to give him explicit instructions for feeding your pet boa constrictor safely. This adjective describes anything that is clear, detailed, and easy to understand. Explicit orders are easy to carry out, and explicit directions are easy to follow. When someone is explicit, they're not beating around the bush or being confusing. Explicit can also mean "offensive" or "graphic," a description that is sometimes included in parental-advisory warnings about "explicit language" or "explicit violence" in movies.

Example Sentences

Food and Drug Administration regulatory and policy strategist at Foley & Lardner LLP, said the compounding pharmacies producing the previously restricted peptides are doing so without explicit permission from FDA.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 23, 2026

Powell in testimony to Congress consistently said that the Fed would likely need explicit authorization from Congress before issuing a digital substitute for paper banknotes.

From Barron's • Jun. 22, 2026

His victory speech, in the middle of the night, was, paragraph by paragraph, implicit about his ambitions and in totality almost explicit.

From BBC • Jun. 19, 2026

“No explicit fee for a CD, but does the bank make money? Of course,” said Brian Pinsky, president of individual retirement and life insurance at Corebridge.

From MarketWatch • Jun. 17, 2026

Most striking, perhaps, is the overwhelming evidence that implicit bias measures are disassociated from explicit bias measures.

From "The New Jim Crow" by Michelle Alexander

Related Words

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