explicitly
Americanadverb
-
in a way that is clearly expressed, demonstrated, or formulated.
There are a couple of important points that I wish had been made more clearly and explicitly.
We should also explicitly advocate for ourselves when it comes to promotions or raises.
-
in a way that is direct or precise; specifically.
Women and underrepresented minorities are explicitly invited to apply.
-
in a graphic or detailed way; not leaving anything to the imagination.
The art to be displayed cannot include explicitly sexual scenes, nudity, or salacious or revealing imagery.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of explicitly
Explanation
When you explain something explicitly, you do it in great detail, leaving no room for misunderstanding. You could intimidate your little brother by explicitly describing what you'll do if he reads your diary. Something that's said or done explicitly is clear and direct, like an explicitly told story about terrible poverty in India — it leaves out no disturbing details, even if it upsets the listener. Explicitly can also refer to sexual situations or details, like a movie whose sex scenes are shown explicitly, or graphically. The Latin root is explicare, "unfold, unravel, explain."
Vocabulary lists containing explicitly
Vocabulary of the Common Core
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"Sorry, Wrong Number" by Lucille Fletcher
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We Were Liars
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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.
El-Sayed said his campaign had no involvement with the advertisement and explicitly rejected its contents Saturday.
From Salon ● Nov. 1, 2026
At the Virginia ratifying convention, Edmund Randolph said explicitly that “there is another provision against the danger … of the President receiving emoluments from foreign powers. If discovered, he may be impeached.”
From Slate ● Oct. 30, 2026
Rather than explicitly listing a “total addressable market” figure, the AI company suggests it is staring down a $40 trillion opportunity.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 28, 2026
His family never explicitly taught him any financial lessons, he said, but his mother’s paydays helped him catch on pretty quickly to the value of work and managing money.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 26, 2026
For the most part, scholars in recent years have been reluctant to adopt the term ‘the Scientific Revolution’, and many have explicitly rejected it.
From "The Invention of Science" by David Wootton
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
