explanation
Americannoun
-
explanations
plural
-
the act or process of explaining.
- Synonyms:
- description, interpretation, exposition, explication, elucidation
-
something that explains; a statement made to clarify something and make it understandable; exposition.
an explanation of a poem.
-
a meaning or interpretation.
to find an explanation for a mystery.
-
a mutual declaration of the meaning of words spoken, actions, motives, etc., with a view to adjusting a misunderstanding or reconciling differences.
After a long and emotional explanation they were friends again.
noun
-
the act or process of explaining
-
a statement or occurrence that explains
-
a clarification of disputed terms or points; reconciliation
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of explanation
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English explanacioun, from Latin explānātiōn-, stem of explānātiō, from explānāt(us) “made understandable” (past participle of explānāre “to smooth out, make understandable”) + -iō -ion; see explain
Explanation
An explanation is a statement about how or why something is the way it is. If you're failing math, you'd better come up with a good explanation to give to your parents. Explanation is from the same Latin word as explain: explanare, which means make clear. Because explanation and explain are so closely related, people often try to shoehorn an extra i into the spelling of explanation. Don't. You might think that explanation has the odd spelling, but it is really the more regular of the two because there is no i in explanare.
Vocabulary lists containing explanation
The Language of Standardized Tests, List 1
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PARCC: Language of the Test (Grade7)
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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:
The most charitable explanation is that they simply think the $40 trillion Treasury bond market has somehow got it wrong and is mispricing interest rates and risk.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 21, 2026
The naughty language can’t cover up the lack of a more profound explanation.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 21, 2026
“He didn’t provide much explanation, didn’t say why he was picking all these films,” LeMaire says.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 21, 2026
Cohen said he believed he was owed an explanation.
From Salon ● Aug. 21, 2026
The wolf had stopped growling during Jack’s explanation and was now staring thoughtfully into space.
From "Half Upon a Time" by James Riley
The sums are vast, but the explanations for the spending range from vague to inscrutable.
From Salon ● Aug. 20, 2026
It said it had given him explanations and assurances on action taken and ongoing payments.
From BBC ● Aug. 17, 2026
U.S. diplomats have broad authority to cancel visas without providing explanations to affected foreign citizens.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 14, 2026
There are several potential explanations for why the stock market has disconnected from GDP.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 13, 2026
My feelings and choices didn’t require constant explanations.
From "A Very Large Expanse of Sea" by Tahereh Mafi
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.
