explanatory
[ik-splan-uh-tawr-ee, -tohr-ee]
adjective
serving to explain: an explanatory footnote.
RELATED CONTENT
What’s the Big Idea, Thesis Statement?A thesis statement is a short summary of the main idea, purpose, or argument of an essay that usually appears in the first paragraph. It’s generally only one or two sentences in length. A strong thesis statement is the backbone of a well-organized paper, and helps you decide what information is most important to include and how it should be presented. This thesis statement, for …
RELATED WORDS
supplementary, informative, analytical, interpretive, allegorical, critical, demonstrative, discursive, expository, graphic, illustrative, instructive, summary, enlightening, exegetic, explicative, hermeneutic, illuminative, annotative, declarative
Nearby words
- explain,
- explain away,
- explain oneself,
- explanate,
- explanation,
- explant,
- explement,
- explemental,
- explementary,
- explementary angle
Sometimes ex·plan·a·tive [ik-splan-uh-tiv] /ɪkˈsplæn ə tɪv/.
Origin of explanatory
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019
Examples from the Web for explanatory
explanatory
explanative
adjective
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
explanatory
1610s, from or modeled on Late Latin explanatorius "having to do with an explanation," from Latin explanat-, past participle stem of explanare (see explanation).
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper