explicit
[ ik-splis-it ]
/ ɪkˈsplɪs ɪt /
adjective
fully and clearly expressed or demonstrated; leaving nothing merely implied; unequivocal: explicit instructions; an explicit act of violence; explicit language.
clearly developed or formulated: explicit knowledge; explicit belief.
definite and unreserved in expression; outspoken: He was quite explicit as to what he expected us to do for him.
described or shown in realistic detail: explicit sexual scenes.
having sexual acts or nudity clearly depicted: explicit movies; explicit books.
Mathematics. (of a function) having the dependent variable expressed directly in terms of the independent variables, as y = 3x + 4.Compare implicit(def 4).
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Denotation vs. ConnotationIf you want to discuss the meaning of a word, it helps to know the difference between denotation and connotation. These two terms are easy to confuse because they describe related concepts. Additionally, both denotation and connotation stem from the Latin word notāre, meaning “to note.” The denotation of a word or phrase is its explicit or direct meaning. Another way to think of it …
RELATED WORDS
precise, accurate, definitive, straightforward, categorical, clear-cut, clear, unequivocal, definite, positive, certain, obvious, exact, correct, absolute, clean-cut, direct, distinct, express, frank
Nearby words
- explicate,
- explication,
- explication de texte,
- explicative,
- explicatory,
- explicit function,
- explicitly,
- explode,
- exploded view,
- explodent
Origin of explicit
1605–15; < Latin explicitus unfolded, set forth, variant past participle of explicāre. See explicate
SYNONYMS FOR explicit
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019
Examples from the Web for explicit
explicit
1/ (ɪkˈsplɪsɪt) /
adjective
precisely and clearly expressed, leaving nothing to implication; fully statedexplicit instructions
graphically detailed, leaving little to the imaginationsexually explicit scenes
openly expressed without reservations; unreserved
maths (of a function) having an equation of the form y=f (x), in which y is expressed directly in terms of x, as in y=x 4 + x + zCompare implicit (def. 4)
Word Origin for explicit
C17: from Latin explicitus unfolded, from explicāre; see explicate
the end; an indication, used esp by medieval scribes, of the end of a book, part of a manuscript, etc
Word Origin for explicit
Late Latin, probably short for explicitus est liber the book is unfolded (or complete); shortened by analogy with incipit
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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explicit
c.1600, from French explicite, from Latin explicitus "unobstructed," variant past participle of explicare "unfold, unravel, explain," from ex- "out" (see ex-) + plicare "to fold" (see ply (v.1)).
"Explicitus" was written at the end of medieval books, originally short for explicitus est liber "the book is unrolled." As a euphemism for "pornographic" it dates from 1971.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper