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
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overexplainverb
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preexplainverb
-
reexplainverb (used with object)
-
explainableadjective
-
misexplainedadjective
-
nonexplainableadjective
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unexplainableadjective
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unexplainedadjective
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unexplainingadjective
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well-explainedadjective
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unexplainablyadverb
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
explainsimple
-
explainssimple
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have explainedperfect
-
has explainedperfect
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am explainingprogressive
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are explainingprogressive
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is explainingprogressive
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have been explainingperfect progressive
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has been explainingperfect progressive
Past
-
explainedsimple
-
had explainedperfect
-
was explainingprogressive
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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)
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Jim Burke's Academic Vocabulary List
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The SAT: Language of the Test, List 4
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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.
See Examples For:
There's another reason that muddies the waters and helps explain why cutting carbon became the prime focus – it was investable.
From BBC ● Jul. 29, 2026
So I asked Molly to explain what happened this morning, what more broadly is going on with Republicans and COVID-19, and what, if anything, from today’s dustup will matter down the road.
From Slate ● Jul. 29, 2026
In a ruling published Tuesday night, the court gave the former president's defense team 48 hours to explain whether the image was created with his consent.
From Barron's ● Jul. 29, 2026
And when parents explain it, it creates deeper empathy, deeper understanding, deeper communication — because it finally explains the “why” of mom and dad.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 29, 2026
“I’m taking a creative writing class at the library,” I explain.
From "Keeping Pace" by Laurie Morrison
In advance of its release in August, she explains why it’s one to look forward to.
From Slate ● Jul. 29, 2026
"Gold in the mantle is commonly bound in sulfide minerals," explains Timm.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 29, 2026
Whatever the Fed does, watch how Warsh explains it.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 29, 2026
The BBC's North America editor Sarah Smith previews the visit and explains the late senator's remarkable influence on the two conflicts.
From BBC ● Jul. 28, 2026
“I guess, technically, a godparent is supposed to be a religious thing,” Mom explains.
From "The Wrong Way Home" by Kate O’Shaughnessy
"I told him: 'Be careful because in front of us is a nightmare, we don't know what will happen,'" explained Pierre Alexandre.
From BBC ● Jul. 29, 2026
If Jack the Ripper had been identified and the case explained, would Jack be a source of fascination now?
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 29, 2026
According to the researchers, these chemical signals are best explained by a mantle source that had already been depleted by earlier melting and was later melted again.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 29, 2026
“It’s really hard for me to say ‘favorite things,’” he explained.
From Salon ● Jul. 29, 2026
I’m about to explain it again, the way the doctor explained it to me, but Jen returns with our drinks, so I let it go.
From "Red Flags and Butterflies" by Sheryl Azzam
He drew a distinction between explaining how the Fed would respond to different scenarios, which he thinks is valuable, and hinting too strongly at a specific move.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 28, 2026
"It would absolutely break my heart to have to sell but it's something that we have to consider," she said, explaining she and her sister now face an estimated £7,000 yearly council tax bill.
From BBC ● Jul. 28, 2026
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
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
Maya-Jade had an iPad with her and she logged onto the Wi-Fi, explaining that they had to find “reputable sources.”
From "Not Nothing" by Gayle Forman
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.
