Dictionary.com

explanatory

[ ik-splan-uh-tawr-ee, -tohr-ee ]
/ ɪkˈsplæn əˌtɔr i, -ˌtoʊr i /
See synonyms for explanatory on Thesaurus.com

adjective

serving to explain: an explanatory footnote.

QUIZZES

DISCOVER THE INFLUENCE OF PORTUGUESE ON ENGLISH VIA THIS QUIZ!

We’ve gathered some interesting words donated to English from Portuguese … as well as some that just don’t translate at all. Do you know what they mean?
Question 1 of 11
Which of the following animal names traces its immediate origin to Portuguese?
owl
crow
piranha
TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT
Sometimes ex·plan·a·tive [ik-splan-uh-tiv] /ɪkˈsplæn ə tɪv/ .

Origin of explanatory

From the Late Latin word explānātōrius, dating back to 1610–20. See explain, -tory1

OTHER WORDS FROM explanatory

Words nearby explanatory

explain away, explainer, explain oneself, explanate, explanation, explanatory, explant, explement, explementary angle, expletive, explicable
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021

Words related to explanatory

supplementary, informative, analytical, interpretive, allegorical, critical, demonstrative, discursive, expository, graphic, illustrative, instructive, summary, enlightening, exegetic, explicative, hermeneutic, illuminative, annotative, declarative

Example sentences from the Web for explanatory

British Dictionary definitions for explanatory

explanatory

explanative

/ (ɪkˈsplænətərɪ, -trɪ) /

adjective

serving or intended to serve as an explanation

Derived forms of explanatory

explanatorily, adverb
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012