explanation
Americannoun
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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
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the act or process of explaining
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a statement or occurrence that explains
-
a clarification of disputed terms or points; reconciliation
Other Word Forms
- overexplanation noun
- preexplanation noun
- reexplanation noun
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; explain
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.
The study also offers an explanation for this unusual behavior.
From Science Daily • Apr. 3, 2026
The chief of staff of the Air Force also announced his retirement without explanation just two years into a four-year term, while the head of US Southern Command retired a year into his tenure.
From Barron's • Apr. 2, 2026
“Either they see us as small children incapable of having things explained to them, or they believe such explanation is beneath them,” it said.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 1, 2026
The best explanation I got was: Imagine there’s an escalator that takes you up, but when you get to the top of the escalator you’re down.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 30, 2026
Leah ultimately found one explanation that covered almost any difficult séance situation—the spirit world contained humbugs just like the mortal one— some spirits liked to play tricks; others simply lied.
From "American Spirits" by Barb Rosenstock
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.
