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.
The justices explicitly left the legality of the eventual policy for another day.
From Slate ● Aug. 31, 2026
It’s one of the few times she so explicitly addressed politics, which she famously and repeatedly said wasn’t her thing.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 26, 2026
And he acknowledged that “the tools needed to secure the border in Big Bend are likewise different than those needed in a dense urban environment,” without explicitly condemning the project.
From Salon ● Aug. 24, 2026
The Daily Express says there is "outcry" over the guidebook having to explicitly give asylum seekers advice on how to behave towards women.
From BBC ● Aug. 20, 2026
“I mean...with Snape’s history...of course people were bound to wonder...but Dumbledore told me explicitly that Snape’s repentance was absolutely genuine... Wouldn’t hear a word against him!”
From "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" by J.K. Rowling
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.
