explanation

[ek-spluh-ney-shuhn]

noun

1. the act or process of explaining.

   Synonyms: description, interpretation, exposition, explication, elucidation

2. something that explains; a statement made to clarify something and make it understandable; exposition.

   an explanation of a poem.

3. a meaning or interpretation.

   to find an explanation for a mystery.

   Synonyms: answer, key, solution

4. 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.

explanation

/ ˌɛkspləˈneɪʃən /

noun

1. the act or process of explaining

2. a statement or occurrence that explains

3. a clarification of disputed terms or points; reconciliation

Other Word Forms

• overexplanation noun
• preexplanation noun
• reexplanation noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of explanation¹

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; explain

Example Sentences

One explanation, according to Dr. Nordestgaard, is that high cholesterol contributes to atherosclerosis -- the buildup of fatty deposits in blood vessels.

Read more on Science Daily

Instead, as Mr. King notes, they mostly inhabit the “twilight zone,” a place of shifting realities and an infinite number of possible explanations.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

“So much of the film is about the fact that there is no explanation for why these things happen to some people,” Bronstein says.

Read more on Salon

However, there are other potential explanations for the discrepancy: Concentrates are often made from homogenous oils that are easier to analyze, whereas plants are inherently heterogenous and harder to test.

Read more on Science Daily

"We are thinking about some natural biological settings where cells change shape and size, and whether we can perhaps explain some 3D genome changes that previously lack an explanation," Hansen says.

Read more on Science Daily

Related Words

• account 
• answer 
• cause 
• comment 
• commentary 
• confession 
• definition 
• description 
• evidence 
• example 
• excuse 
• expression 
• information 
• interpretation 
• justification 
• meaning 
• motive 
• note 
• report 
• resolution