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:
Russell’s explanation was simple: “It isn’t the same thing,” he said.
From Slate ● Oct. 5, 2026
Gut motility increased almost immediately after a 20 minute walk, offering a possible biological explanation for why movement can help relieve constipation.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 5, 2026
Ethiopia also expelled an Egyptian diplomat without explanation, prompting a reciprocal move by Cairo.
From Barron's ● Oct. 2, 2026
Moreover, the inflation explanation doesn’t account for why some countries like France have seen particularly huge surges in yields.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 2, 2026
He seemed to accept her explanation and said nothing else about it as they kept walking.
From "Night Owls" by A.R. Vishny
They have not not offered any explanations about what went wrong.
From BBC ● Oct. 2, 2026
Here’s a list of a some of the more popular explanations:
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 28, 2026
Even in cities and counties that are not immediately shifting their approach to Flock, the governor’s actions and widespread scrutiny have prompted police to provide presentations and explanations for how they use their cameras.
From Salon ● Sep. 28, 2026
There are several possible explanations for this decrease in ATP.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 26, 2026
Of course there were a lot of simple explanations.
From "My Brother Sam is Dead" by James Lincoln Collier and Christopher Collier
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.
