explicit

American  

[ik-splis-it] / ɪkˈsplɪs ɪt /

adjective

1. fully and clearly expressed or demonstrated; leaving nothing merely implied; unequivocal.

   explicit instructions; an explicit act of violence; explicit language.

   Synonyms:

   unambiguous , exact , precise , definite , express

   Antonyms:

   ambiguous , indefinite

2. clearly developed or formulated.

   explicit knowledge; explicit belief.

3. definite and unreserved in expression; outspoken.

   He was quite explicit as to what he expected us to do for him.

   Synonyms:

   unabashed , forthright , open

4. having sexual acts or nudity clearly depicted.

   explicit movies; explicit books.

5. Mathematics.  (of a function) having the dependent variable expressed directly in terms of the independent variables, as y = 3 x + 4.

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explicit ¹ British  

/ ɪkˈsplɪsɪt /

adjective

1. precisely and clearly expressed, leaving nothing to implication; fully stated

   explicit instructions

2. graphically detailed, leaving little to the imagination

   sexually explicit scenes

3. openly expressed without reservations; unreserved

4. 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 + z Compare implicit

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explicit ² British  

/ ɪkˈsplɪsɪt /

1. the end; an indication, used esp by medieval scribes, of the end of a book, part of a manuscript, etc

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Other Word Forms

• explicitly adverb
• explicitness noun
• overexplicit adjective
• quasi-explicit adjective
• superexplicit adjective
• unexplicit adjective

Etymology

Origin of explicit

First recorded in 1605–15; from Latin explicitus “unfolded, set forth,” variant past participle of explicāre; explicate

Example Sentences

Opening an annual meeting that brought together representatives from the countries that are part of the ICC, Tomoko Akane said: "Let me be explicit. We never accept any kind of pressure from anyone."

From Barron's

Tokyo’s position is that Takaichi was talking hypothetically and articulating longstanding Japanese policy, though it was unusual for a sitting prime minister to be so explicit.

From The Wall Street Journal

That means being explicit about the value placed on dissent.

From The Wall Street Journal

Investors would like to see Ramsay give explicit margin targets, she adds.

From The Wall Street Journal

"If this person's goal, whether explicit or implicit, was in fact to understand the overall landscape of movies in this country, the algorithmic recommendation ends up seriously biasing one's understanding," the authors wrote.

From Science Daily

Related Words

• accurate
• categorical
• certain
• clear
• clear-cut
• correct
• definite
• definitive
• exact
• obvious
• positive
• precise
• straightforward
• unequivocal