explainer

American  

[ik-spley-ner] / ɪkˈspleɪ nər /

noun

1. a person, document, video, etc., that explains something (often used attributively).

   an explainer article that gives the reader background information about a news story.

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Etymology

Origin of explainer

First recorded in 1575–1600; explain ( def. ) + -er ¹ ( def. )

Example Sentences

For more details on the impact of the industrial action on your commute, click on the explainer below.

From BBC • Apr. 21, 2026

When Thalia Toha wasn’t sure how to answer her teenage daughter’s question about what just happened in Venezuela, she stumbled on the perfect explainer: a scene from a 2019 episode of “Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 15, 2026

Treasuries—see Barron’s explainer of the yen carry trade, which has funded U.S. government debt purchases for years.

From Barron's • Dec. 4, 2025

Some social media posts have amplified inaccurate information about the changes — leading the Education Department to issue a “Myth vs. Fact” explainer on the proposed modifications.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 26, 2025

Like dead men, dead causes tell no tales, and the ideals that went under in the past, along with all the tribes that represented them, find to-day no recorder, no explainer, no defender.

From Memories and Studies by James, Henry

Related Words

• linguist