2. To define; expound: We explained our plan to the committee.
3.
a. To offer reasons for or a cause of; justify: explain an error.
b. To offer reasons for the actions, beliefs, or remarks of (oneself).
v.intr.
To make something plain or comprehensible: Let me explain.
Phrasal Verb:
explain away
1. To dismiss or get rid of by or as if by explaining.
2. To minimize by explanation.
[Middle English explanen, from Latin explnre : ex-, intensive pref.; see ex- + plnus, clear; see pel-2 in Indo-European roots.]
ex·plaina·ble adj.
Synonyms: explain, elucidate, expound, explicate, interpret, construe These verbs mean to make understandable the nature or meaning of something. Explain is the most widely applicable: The professor explained the obscure symbols. To elucidate is to throw light on something complex: "Man's whole life and environment have been laid open and elucidated" (Thomas Carlyle). Expound and explicate imply detailed and usually learned and lengthy exploration or analysis: "We must never forget that it is a constitution we are expounding" (John Marshall). "Ordinary language philosophers tried to explicate the standards of usage" (Jerrold J. Katz). To interpret is to reveal the underlying meaning of something by the application of special knowledge or insight: "If a poet interprets a poem of his own he limits its suggestibility" (William Butler Yeats). Construe involves putting a particular construction or interpretation on something: "I take the official oath today . . . with no purpose to construe the Constitution or laws by any hypercritical rules" (Abraham Lincoln).
explain (ɪkˈspleɪn)
vb
1. (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
2. (tr) to justify or attempt to justify (oneself) by giving reasons for one's actions or words
[C15: from Latin explānāre to flatten, from plānus level]
exˈplainableadjexˈplainernex•plain (ɪkˈspleɪn)
v.t.
1. to make clear or intelligible.
2. to make known in detail.
3. to make clear the cause or reason of; account for: I cannot explain his strange behavior.
v.i.
4. to give an explanation.
5. explain away, to diminish the significance of through explanation; justify.
[1375–1425; < Latin explānāre to smooth out, make intelligible. See ex-1, plane2]
ex•plain′a•ble,adj.
ex•plain′er,n.
explain
If you explain something, you give details about it so that it can be understood.
The head teacher should be able to explain the school's teaching policy.
You say that you explain something to someone.
Let me explain to you about Jackie.
We explained everything to the police.
Be Careful! You must use to in sentences like these. Don't say, for example, 'Let me explain you about Jackie'.
You can use explain with a that-clause to say that someone tells someone else the reason for something.
I explained that I was trying to write a book.
explain Past participle: explained Gerund: explaining
Imperative
explain
explain
Present
I explain
you explain
he/she/it explains
we explain
you explain
they explain
Preterite
I explained
you explained
he/she/it explained
we explained
you explained
they explained
Present Continuous
I am explaining
you are explaining
he/she/it is explaining
we are explaining
you are explaining
they are explaining
Present Perfect
I have explained
you have explained
he/she/it has explained
we have explained
you have explained
they have explained
Past Continuous
I was explaining
you were explaining
he/she/it was explaining
we were explaining
you were explaining
they were explaining
Past Perfect
I had explained
you had explained
he/she/it had explained
we had explained
you had explained
they had explained
Future
I will explain
you will explain
he/she/it will explain
we will explain
you will explain
they will explain
Future Perfect
I will have explained
you will have explained
he/she/it will have explained
we will have explained
you will have explained
they will have explained
Future Continuous
I will be explaining
you will be explaining
he/she/it will be explaining
we will be explaining
you will be explaining
they will be explaining
Present Perfect Continuous
I have been explaining
you have been explaining
he/she/it has been explaining
we have been explaining
you have been explaining
they have been explaining
Future Perfect Continuous
I will have been explaining
you will have been explaining
he/she/it will have been explaining
we will have been explaining
you will have been explaining
they will have been explaining
Past Perfect Continuous
I had been explaining
you had been explaining
he/she/it had been explaining
we had been explaining
you had been explaining
they had been explaining
Conditional
I would explain
you would explain
he/she/it would explain
we would explain
you would explain
they would explain
Past Conditional
I would have explained
you would have explained
he/she/it would have explained
we would have explained
you would have explained
they would have explained
ThesaurusLegend:SynonymsRelated WordsAntonyms
Verb
1.
explain - make plain and comprehensible; "He explained the laws of physics to his students"
explain - define; "The committee explained their plan for fund-raising to the Dean"
say, state, tell - express in words; "He said that he wanted to marry her"; "tell me what is bothering you"; "state your opinion"; "state your name"
3.
explain - serve as a reason or cause or justification of; "Your need to sleep late does not excuse your late arrival at work"; "Her recent divorce may explain her reluctance to date again"
explain[ɪkˈspleɪn]vt → expliquer to explain why → expliquer pourquoi to explain how → expliquer comment to explain sth to sb → expliquer qch à qn to explain that ... → expliquer que ...
vt → erklären (to sb jdm); motives, situation, thoughts → erläutern, erklären; mystery → aufklären; it’s all right, I can explain everything → schon gut, ich kann das alles erklären; that is easy to explain, that is easily explained → das lässt sich leichterklären; he wanted to see me but wouldn’t explain why → er wollte mich sehen, sagte aber nicht, warum or aus welchem Grunde; so that explains why he didn’t react → ach, das erklärt, warum er nichtreagiert hat
vr(= justify) → sich rechtfertigen; he’d better explain himself → ich hoffe, er kann das erklären; I think you’d better start explaining yourself → was hast du zu deiner Entschuldigung zu sagen?; explain yourself! → was soll das?, kannst du das erklären?
vi → es erklären; please explain → bitte erklären Sie das; I think you’ve got some explaining to do → ich glaube, Sie müssen da einiges erklären
1. to make (something) clear or easy to understand. Can you explain the railway timetable to me?; Did she explain why she was late? verduidelik شَرَح، فَسَّر обяснявам explicar vysvětlit erklären, erläutern forklare εξηγώ explicar selgitama توضیح دادن selittää expliquer לְהַבהִיר समझाना objasniti, razjasniti (meg)magyaráz menjelaskan útskÿra spiegare 説明する 설명하다 paaiškinti paskaidrot jelas uitleggen forklare, gjøre rede for wyjaśniać توضيع وركول explicar a explica, a lămuri объяснять vysvetliť pojasniti objasniti förklara อธิบาย açıklamak 說明 пояснювати واضح کرنا ، سمجھانا giải thích 说明 explicar
2. to give, or be, a reason for. I cannot explain his failure; That explains his silence. verklaar يُفَسِّر، يُعْطي السَّبب обяснявам explicar vysvětlit erklären forklare; begrunde (επ)εξηγώ, ερμηνεύω explicar seletama توجیه کردن perustella expliquer לְהַסבִּיר सफाई देना, कारण बताना objasniti indokol menjelaskan gefa skÿringu á spiegare 理由を述べる …을 명확히 밝히다 paaiškinti izskaidrot menjelaskan verklaren klarlegge, begrunne, finne årsak til wytłumaczyć وجه وركول explicar a explica, a justifica объяснять vysvetliť razložiti objasniti förklara ชี้แจง açıklamak 解釋 пояснювати کسی چیز کا سبب بتانا giải thích 解释 explicar
explanation (ekspləˈneiʃən) noun
1. the act or process of explaining. Let me give a few words of explanation. verduideliking شَرْح، تَفْسير обяснение explicação vysvětlení die Erklärung forklaring; redegørelse εξήγηση explicación selgitus توضیح selitys explication הֶסבֵּר व्याख्या objašnjavanje magyarázat penjelasan (út)skÿring spiegazione 説明 설명 paaiškinimas paskaidrojums penjelasan uitleg forklaring, utgreiing wyjaśnienie توضيع explicação explicaţie разъяснение vysvetlenie pojasnjevanje objašnjenje förklaring การอธิบาย açıklama 說明 пояснення وضاحت sự giảng giải 说明 explicació
2. a statement or fact that explains. There are several possible explanations for the explosion. verklaring تَفْسير، تَعْليل обяснение explicação vysvětlení die Erklärung forklaring; begrundelse εξήγηση, ερμηνεία explicación seletus شرح؛ دلیل perustelu explication הֶסבֵּר विवरण, बयान objašnjenje értelmezés penjelasan (út)skÿring spiegazione 原因 진상, 이유 paaiškinimas izskaidrojums penjelasan verklaring årsak(ssammenheng), forklaring wyjaśnienie توضيع explicação explicaţie объяснение vysvetlenie pojasnilo objašnjenje förklaring คำอธิบาย açıklama 解釋 пояснення توضيحی بیان lời giải thích 解释 explicació
exˈplanatory (-ˈsplӕnə-) adjective
giving an explanation. There are explanatory notes in this book. verklarend تَفْسيري، إيضاحي обяснителен explicativo vysvětlující erklärend forklarende επεξηγηματικός explicativo selgitav توضیحی selittävä explicatif מְבָאֵר व्याख्यात्मक koji tumači, razjašnjava (meg)magyarázó menjelaskan skÿringar- esplicativo 説明の 설명을 위한 aiškinamasis []skaidrojošs catatan keterangan verklarend forklarende objaśniający توضيحى explicativo explicativ пояснительный vysvetľujúci pojasnjevalen koji objašnjava förklarande ซึ่งชี้แจง açıklayıcı 解釋的 пояснювальний; тлумачний توضیحی mang tính giải thích 解释的 explicatiu
explain away
to get rid of (difficulties etc) by clever explaining. She could not explain away the missing money. goedpraat, wegredeneer يَجِد التفسير давам задоволително обяснение dar uma explicação (dostatečně) vysvětlit (durch Erklärungen) vertuschen bortforklare δικαιολογώ dar explicaciones õigustust leidma توجیه کردن antaa selitys justifier לְהָסִיר סָפֶק व्याख्या द्वारा समझाना objasniti, razjasniti kimagyaráz (vmit) memberi alasan gera efasemdir/ótta að engu með útskÿringum spiegare, giustificare 言い抜ける (의혹 따위를) 잘 설명하여 풀다 pagrįsti, paaiškinti attaisnot menjelaskan wegredeneren bortforklare usprawiedliwić, wyjaśnić سببول dar uma explicação a justifica находить объяснение (uspokojivo) vysvetliť upravičiti opravdati bortförklara ขจัดความสงสัยโดยการอธิบาย açıklama yaparak sıyrılmak 自圓其說 виправдовувати(ся) کسی غلطی کی اہمیت کو گھٹا کر رفت گزشت کرنے کے لۓ توضيح کرنا thanh minh 巧辩过去 donar explicacions
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