explain
Americanverb (used with object)
-
to make plain or clear; render understandable or intelligible.
to explain an obscure point.
- Synonyms:
- explicate
- Antonyms:
- confuse
-
to make known in detail.
to explain how to do something.
-
to assign a meaning to; interpret.
How can you explain such a silly remark?
-
to make clear the cause or reason of; account for.
I cannot explain his strange behavior.
- Synonyms:
- justify
verb (used without object)
verb phrase
verb
-
(when tr, may take a clause as object) to make (something) comprehensible, esp by giving a clear and detailed account of the relevant structure, operation, surrounding circumstances, etc
-
(tr) to justify or attempt to justify (oneself) by giving reasons for one's actions or words
Usage
What are other ways to say explain?
To explain something is to make it plain or clear, or to render it understandable or intelligible. How does explain compare to synonyms elucidate, expound, and interpret? Find out on Thesaurus.com.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
-
explainernoun
-
explanatornoun
-
overexplainverb
-
preexplainverb
-
reexplainverb (used with object)
-
explainableadjective
-
misexplainedadjective
-
nonexplainableadjective
-
unexplainableadjective
-
unexplainedadjective
-
unexplainingadjective
-
well-explainedadjective
-
unexplainablyadverb
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
explainsimple
-
explainssimple
-
have explainedperfect
-
has explainedperfect
-
am explainingprogressive
-
are explainingprogressive
-
is explainingprogressive
-
have been explainingperfect progressive
-
has been explainingperfect progressive
Past
-
explainedsimple
-
had explainedperfect
-
was explainingprogressive
-
were explainingprogressive
-
had been explainingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of explain
First recorded in 1375–1425; late Middle English explanen, from Latin explānāre “to smooth out, make intelligible, spread out on flat surface”; see origin at ex- 1, plane 1
Explanation
To explain something is to define it, show how it works, or just tell what it is. Explaining helps people understand. If you know football really well, then you could probably explain it to a non-fan. Explaining makes things clearer. A lot of teaching is explaining — telling how something works. Also, if you do something wrong, people will ask you to explain your actions. Explaining can help someone "get it" — whatever "it" is.
Vocabulary lists containing explain
PARCC: Language of the Test (Grade7)
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Jim Burke's Academic Vocabulary List
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
The SAT: Language of the Test, List 4
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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.
See Examples For:
I explain that I trust these experts over someone without a lot of experience.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 28, 2026
"The information I received was that there would be none," he said, adding that consular staff said they would explain his criminal record and itinerary to the UK Border Force.
From BBC ● Jul. 28, 2026
A chairman who avoids discussing the outlook can’t explain the committee’s decisions and surrenders a tool for steering it.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 28, 2026
The discovery may help explain why people living in similar environments can face very different cancer risks.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 27, 2026
She would explain it all later to Uncle Manfred and Aunt Lotti, when they came home, she said.
From "An Elephant in the Garden" by Michael Morpurgo
Whatever the Fed does, watch how Warsh explains it.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 29, 2026
Gathered around a rectangular table, he announced his plan: five panels of outside experts would spend the next few months examining how the Fed reads the economy and explains itself.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 28, 2026
The 40-year Treasury-bond bull market rested on three supports, and almost nobody explains all three, because each belongs to a different tribe of economists.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 27, 2026
Wadsworth explains that if you lose glow worms in an area, they are lost forever unless you carry out a reintroduction program.
From BBC ● Jul. 27, 2026
“All of our parents are very nice, except one,” Celia explains to me.
From "The Tenth Mistake of Hank Hooperman" by Gennifer Choldenko
The light-bodied red, Passeggiata, he explained, was a rosé gone wrong when winemakers forgot to remove the grapes’ skins at the correct time.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 27, 2026
"I'd explained to her that knitting was the only thing helping my mother through the grief, it was giving her something to live for... It was just cruel."
From BBC ● Jul. 27, 2026
Simon explained in her statement that she experienced arthritis in both of her knees and one hip prior to receiving her diagnosis.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 27, 2026
Most of the selling happened before the letter explained why.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 27, 2026
"If you said, 'I love doing the laundry,'" Sam explained, "that would be code, and it would really mean—" He waited for his mother to catch on.
From "All About Sam" by Lois Lowry
A single physically consistent theory capable of explaining both Jupiter's and Saturn's moon systems could also help scientists understand planets and moons outside the Solar System.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 27, 2026
OpenAI issued a press release explaining what had happened and said it was "partnering with Hugging Face" to address the security incident and share lessons learned.
From BBC ● Jul. 24, 2026
Lan Lam leads this ‘America’s Test Kitchen’ spinoff that blends recipes with food science, explaining the logic behind culinary tips in accessible terms.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 24, 2026
Dodger utility man Kiké Hernandez said he wasn’t going, either, explaining that he was busy rehabbing an injury.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 24, 2026
“It’s not a black hole,” another kid was explaining, sounding perfectly rational.
From "Found" by Margaret Peterson Haddix
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.
