Explain

Definition: Explain

Explain

Verb

1. Give an explanation for.

2. State by way of explanation.

3. Serve as an excuse for.

Source: WordNet 1.7.1 Copyright © 2001 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
 

Date "explain" was first used in popular English literature: sometime before 1258. (references)

Synonyms: Explain

Answer

Explain; (interpret); solve; (unriddle); discover; a; fathom, hunt out; (inquire); satisfy, set at rest, determine.

Belief

Phrase: experto crede; fata viam invenient;Phrase: experto crede; fata viam invenient; Justitiae soror incorrupta Fides; "live to explain thy doctrine by thy life"; "stands not within the prospect of belief"; tarde quae credita laedunt credimus; vide et crede.

Conformity

Exemplify, illustrate, cite, quote, quote precedent, quote authority, appeal to authority, put a case; produce an instance; Noun: elucidate, explain.

Information

Show cause; explain; (interpret).

Interpretation

Verb: interpret, explain, define, construe, translate, render; do into, turn into; transfuse the sense of.

Misinterpretation

Misrepresent, pervert; explain wrongly, misstate; garble; (falsify); distort, detort; travesty, play upon words; stretch the sense, strain the sense, stretch the meaning, strain the meaning, wrest the sense, wrest the meaning; explain away; put a bad construction on, put a false construction on; give a false coloring.

Crosswords: Explain

What you know you can't explain, but you feel it. You've felt it your entire life, that there's something wrong with the world (The Matrix; writing credit: Andy Wachowski; Larry Wachowski)

And in the meantime you can explain to me, what is an elevator (Seven Years in Tibet; writing credit: Becky Johnston)

I had an experience, I can't proof and can't explain, but everything that I know as a human being, tells me that it was real (Contact; writing credit: Carl Sagan;)

That would explain a lot. (Mr. Deeds; writing credit: Clarence Budington Kell; Robert Riskin)

How do you explain school to a higher intelligence (E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial; writing credit: Ethan Coen)

But it's heart to explain (When I Say; performing artist: Air Supply)

Somehow I must explain (Until You Come Back To Me; performing artist: Aretha Franklin)

Just can't explain to you (Around the World (La la la la la); performing artist: ATC)

All I wanna do is just explain ("Addictive Love"; performing artist: BeBe& CeCe Winans)

Trying to explain (Kiss the Rain; performing artist: Billie Myers)

I can explain it to you, but I can't understand it for you. (references; author: unknown)

It takes less time to do the thing right than it does to explain why you did it wrong. (references; author: unknown)

God is too kind to do anything cruel, too wise to make a mistake, and too deep to explain Himself. (references; author: unknown)

You are an engineer if your three-year-old son asks why the sky is blue, and you try to explain atmospheric absorption theory. (references; author: unknown)

Dear Let Me Explain (1932)

I Can Explain (1922)

I Think God Can Explain (performing artist: Splender)

Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits.

Books

• Beginning Apologetics 6: How to Explain and Defend Mary (reference)

• Lifetimes: The Beautiful Way to Explain Death to Children (reference)

• Parliament of Whores: A Lone Humorist Attempts to Explain the Entire U.S. Government (reference)

• Please Explain. (reference)

• Tell Me More: Listening to Learners Explain (reference)

  (more book examples)

Music

• Don't Explain (reference)

• No Time to Explain (reference)

  (more classical music examples; more popular music examples)

Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits.

Why this is being done is too complicated to explain. Credit: Paths Less Taken - NOAA at the Ends of the Earth.

Maj. David Beasley (r) and Capt. Gabb Gray explain some of the capabilities of the C-17 Globemaster to Atlanta Falcon's receiver Tim Dwight, during the NFL Players Huddle Party at MacDill AFB, Fla., Jan. 23, 2001. Beasley and Gray, assigned to the 17th A.

Dr. Moore meets with Provincial Governor to explain the malaria control program ... Credit: National Library of Medicine.

Oil painting, probably depicting her arrival in the Bahamas in 1862. She had been purchased secretly in England and sent to the Bahamas for fitting out as a warship. This may explain the absence of visible armament on the ship. Credit: NAVY.

Drive begins to bar U.S. Communist party from state ballots. (News item) Scientists still unable to explain elephants' pathological dread of mice (News item). Credit: Library of Congress.

Radio class of U.S. Civilian Conservation Corps, at Camp Nine Mile, Fort Missoula District, Montana, hears Instructor Best explain a construction point, which he points out on the upturned set. Credit: Library of Congress.

Mass attack. Problems of production for war work are studied by apprentices in an eastern arsenal. Instructors explain the operation of a radical drill. Credit: Library of Congress.

Source: pictures compiled by the editor from various references; see picture credits.

Source: compiled by the editor from various references.

Then I shall explain a Process or two.

All right, said Ford, "I'll try to explain. How long have we known each other?

Without understanding it himself clearly, and without trying to explain it, that chaste, healthy, firm, direct, hard, candid nature charmed him.

In finding the answers to them I found the theory of esthetic which I am trying to explain.

And he hastened to explain.

I said I had not, and desired he would explain to me what he meant by such an appellation applied to a mortal creature

Source: compiled by the editor from various references.

Health

The child cannot explain what he/she wants. (references)

Ask your doctor to explain what symptoms should be watched. (references)

During this time, the technologist will explain the machines. (references)

Business

EU Directives 65/65/EEC, 75/318/EEC, 75/319/EEC explain this procedure. (references)

It may explain why some 36 percent of Europe's electric energy is now traded in the non EU country Switzerland. (references)

This may explain the strong growth of Boston, New England and Washington, DC as destinations for Italian leisure travelers. (references)

Civil Liberties

China

Some observers cite the lack of adequate meeting space in registered churches to explain the rapid rise in attendance at house churches and "underground" churches. (references)

Iran

In August 1999, the commander of the security forces, General Hedayat Lotfian, was summoned before the Parliament to explain the role of his officers in the dormitory raid. (references)

Malaysia

In December 1999, the Home Ministry issued a letter to Harakah's publisher asking him to explain why Harakah should not be banned for violating the terms of the publishing permit. (references)

Economic History

Philippines

Retailers explain that most non-food retail items carry a 20 to 30 percent profit margin. (references)

Russia

They can submit documents to the Ministry of Economic Development and Trade to explain or justify the delay or non-receipt. (references)

Israel

The combined effects of the Intfada, the US/global economic slowdown and the drop in the Nasdaq explain Israel's performance. (references)

Human Rights

Rwanda

The Government continued its nationwide campaign to explain Gacaca to the public during the year. (references)

Colombia

Military entities often cited lack of information, manpower, and mobility to explain this situation. (references)

India

In July the NHRC asked the Tamil Nadu state government to justify the arrests and explain apparent human rights violations. (references)

Indigenous People

Indonesia

A special team was established in Jakarta to lobby Parliament and the administration and explain the intent and background of the Papuan Special Autonomy Law. (references)

Indonesia

A March conference debated whether to pursue independence or special autonomy, resulting in numerous meetings with local communities to explain autonomy and solicit input. (references)

Minorities

Estonia

The language office liberally grants extensions to persons who can explain their failure to meet the requisite competence level. (references)

Political Economy

MEXICO

The central bank's tight monetary policy, strong export growth, and high FDI inflows largely explain the peso's real appreciation during the period. (references)

Political Rights

Egypt

The People's Assembly debates Government proposals, and members exercise their authority to call cabinet ministers to explain policy. (references)

Trade

France

Usage Instructions: Explain how the product is to be used. (references)

Travel

Guatemala

Suppliers should be prepared to explain how their products and services will complement existing products and systems. (references)

Women

Italy

A decree approved in May 2000 requires civil service recruiters to explain in writing their motives for hiring or promoting a man rather than a woman as a manager. (references)

Worker Rights

China

In the view of some observers, this fact helps explain the rapid rise in the number of arbitration cases. (references)

Source: compiled by the editor from ICON Group International, Inc.; see credits.

Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits.

Source: compiled by the editor from various references.

Expressions using "explain": explain away ♦ explain away contradictions ♦ explain briefly ♦ explain oneself ♦ explain smth. in words of one syllable ♦ To explain away. Additional references.

Beginning with "explain": explain-ail.

Ending with "explain": re-explain.

Afrikaans

verklaar (declare, state), verduidelik (account for, clarify). (various references)

Albanian

sqaroj (clarify, dissolve, elucidate, enlighten, enucleate, gloss, illuminate, illustrate, sharpen, straighten, straighten out), shtjelloj (develop, discuss, evolve, explicate, labor, labour, treat), shpjegoj (account for, clarify, construe, define, elucidate, expound, interpret, justify, make understand, straighten, straighten out, take to pieces, tell, unriddle), interpretoj (construe, interpret, perform, personate, play, portray, read, take). (various references)

Arabic 

‏فسر (account for, clarify, clear, clear up, construe, elucidate, explicate, expound, illustrate, interpret, make clear), ‏وضح (accentuate, clarify, clear up, define, elucidate, illuminate, illustrate, light, lighten, puzzle out, ravel out, represent, spell, state), ‏شرح (account for, anatomize, be explained, caption, commentary, cut into slices, demonstrate, demonstration, dissect, elucidate, elucidation, explanation, explication, exposition, expound, puzzle out, represent, slice, sort out). (various references)

Bulgarian 

тълкувам (comment, construe, explicate, expound, gloss, interpret, read, render, translate), обяснявам (account, explicate, illuminate, impute, interpret, justify, refer, set forth, set out, tell, translate, unravel), пояснявам (illustrate). (various references)

Catalan

explicar (account for). (various references)

Chinese 

辯解 (defend, justify, provide an explanation, try to defend oneself), 釋 (to release), 詮 (comment), 詁 (comment), 解释 (Aread, Areed, Explained, Explaining, Explanation, Explication, interpret, interpretation, interpreted, interpreting), 繹 (continuous, unravel), 交代 (hand over, make clear). (various references)

Czech

vysvìtlit (account for, air, clear up, define, elucidate, explicate, expound, interpret, resolve, set light to), vysvětlit, vyložit (articulate, deposit, discharge, display, elucidate, expound, hold up, interpret, lay out, put out, unfold, unload). (various references)

Danish

forklare (account for, clarify). (various references)

Dutch

uitleggen (account for, clarify, interpret, lengthen), uiteenzetten (account for, demonstrate, exhibit, expose), toelichten (account for, comment). (various references)

Esperanto

ekspliki, komprenigi, klarigi (clarify). (various references)

Faeroese

greiða frá (account for, narrate, relate, tell), greiða (account for, analyse, clarify, comb, curl, define, deliver, determine, do, furnish, supply). (various references)

Farsi 

توضیح دادن (Clarify, Clear, Elucidate, Illustrate, State), روشن کردن (Alight, Brighten, Clarify, Daylight, Elucidate, Enlighten, Ignite, Illuminate, Lighten, Refresh, Relume), شرح دادن (Demonstrate, Depict, Describe, Detail, Give, Illustrate, Narrate, Relate), باتوضیح روشن کردن . (various references)

Finnish

tulkita (decipher, decode, expound, interpret), selvittää (adjust, bring home, clarify, clear, clear up, disentangle, liquidate, make clear, settle, solve, wind up), selittää (account for, expound, interpret, make out). (various references)

French

expliquer (expound). (various references)

Frisian

ferklearje (account for, clarify). (various references)

German

erläutern (account for, clarify, elucidate, exemplify, explicate, expound, gloss, illuminate, to elucidate, to exemplify, to explain), erklären (account for, affirm, announce, authenticate, avow, clarify, declare, expound, proclaim, profess, pronounce, state, to account for, to explain, to expound, to meld, to state), darlegen (account for, clarify, demonstrate, expose, expound, formulate, propound, set forth, state, to explain, to expose, to state, unfold, unroll). (various references)

Greek 

εξηγώ (account for, exemplify, explicate, expound, gloze, interpret, unriddle), διερμηνεύω (interpret). (various references)

Hebrew 

לתרץ (give an excuse), לפרש (construe, elucidate, gloss, interpret), להסביר (account for, brighten, illustrate, interpret, make clear, spell out), לבאר (clarify, elucidate, expound, gloss, make clear), לנמק (argue, motivate, reason, substantiate), הסביר. (various references)

Hungarian

magyaráz (comment, interpret, read, to account for sg, to comment on, to construe, to expound, to interpret, to read), érthetõvé tesz (elucidate). (various references)

Icelandic

útskýra (account for), útlista (account for), þýða (account for, clarify, imply, interpret, mean, signify, translate). (various references)

Indonesian

menerangkan (construe, declarative, elucidate, settle), mencuraikan (clarify, isolate), membeberkan (expand, proclaim, spread out, unfold), membabarkan (lay out, set out). (various references)

Italian

spiegare (account for, clarify, clear up, demonstrate, enucleate, explain oneself, expound, interpret, project, read, solve, spread, spread out, to explain, unfold, unfurl), esporre (display, expose, expose oneself, expound, hang out, market, present, put, set forth, set out, show, state, subject). (various references)

Japanese Kanji 

言い開く (to explain, to justify, to vindicate), 曰く言い難し (It is hard to explain, It is hard to say), 振り漢字 , 事情を話す (to explain the situation), 噛み砕く (to crunch, to explain plainly, to masticate, to simplify), 噛砕く (to crunch, to explain plainly, to masticate, to simplify), 申し開らく (to explain, to justify), 丸める (to cajole, to curl up, to explain away, to make round, to roll up, to round off, to seduce), 言い抜ける (to answer evasively, to explain away), 説き聞かせる (to explain, to reason), 言い逃れる (to explain away, to talk one's way out of), 解き明かす (to dispel doubts, to explain), 説く (to advocate, to explain, to persuade, to preach), 説き分ける (to explain carefully or by making distinctions), 説き出す (to begin to explain, to begin to speak), 説く　 (to advocate, to explain, to persuade, to preach), 説き明かす (to explain, to make clear, to solve), 経文の義を説く (to explain the meaning of a sutra). (various references)

Japanese Katakana 

きょうもんのぎをとく (to explain the meaning of a sutra), まるめる (to cajole, to curl up, to explain away, to make round, to roll up, to round off, to seduce), ふりかんじ, かみくだく (to crunch, to explain plainly, to masticate, to simplify), いいひらく (to explain, to justify, to vindicate), いいのがれる (to explain away, to talk one's way out of), いいぬける (to answer evasively, to explain away), いわくいいがたし (It is hard to explain, It is hard to say), もうしひらく (to explain, to justify), じじょうをはなす (to explain the situation), とききかせる (to explain, to reason), ときいだす (to begin to explain, to begin to speak), ときあかす (to dispel doubts, to explain, to make clear, to solve), ときわける (to explain carefully or by making distinctions), とく (gain, hide, interest, profit, shelter, shield, to advocate, to answer, to dissolve, to explain, to persuade, to preach, to solve, to untie). (various references)

Korean 

설명하십시요 (Elucidate, illustrate). (various references)

Malay

menyatakan (account for, clarify). (various references)

Manx

soilshaghey (advertisement, characterize, declaration, demonstrate, describe, exhibit, illuminate, illumination, illustrate, interpret, interpretation, irradiate, irradiation, light, lighten, manifest, manifestation, notify, publication, publish, represent, show, show forth), meenaghey (define, definition, exposition, expound), cur baght er (clear, comment, define, illuminate, interpret). (various references)

Maori

whakamaarama-tia (to explain). (various references)

Norwegian

forklare (define). (various references)

Papiamen

aklará (account for, clarify). (various references)

Pig Latin

explainay.(various references)

Polish

wyjaśniać (account for, clarify). (various references)

Portuguese

explicar (account, advance, clarify, construe, define, enucleate, explicate, expound, gloss, illustrate, instantiate, interpret, justify, lay out, represent, resolve, solve, tell, to explain, unriddle). (various references)

Portuguese Brazilian

explicar (to explain). (various references)

Romanian

explica (account, account for, construe, define, elucidate, enlighten, enunciate, explicate, expound, illuminate, illumine, interpret, justify, riddle, show, untie, vindicate), clarifica (account for, bring out, clarify, clear, clear up, define, disentangle, dissolve, find out, irradiate, point out). (various references)

Russian 

объяснять (account for, construe, elucidate, explicate, interpret, justify, refer). (various references)

Scottish

mìnich (expound, make small, pulverise). (various references)

Serbo-Croatian

tumačiti (explicate, expound), razložiti (decompose, disassemble, resolve), rastumačiti (put across), obrazložiti (justify), objasniti (account, elucidate, make understand). (various references)

Shona

-tsanangura (to explain). (various references)

Spanish

explicar (account for, clarify, explicate, interpret, lay out, put, show, sort out), exponer (abandon, advance, bring, cover, display, exhibit, expose, expound, hold an exhibition, lay out, make out, present, put, put forward, put on show, put up, risk, set forth, set forward, set out, show, state, unfold), desarrollar (account for, clarify, develop, expand, labor, labour, set, set forth, work out, work up), aclarar (amplify, brighten, clarify, clear, clear up, elucidate, exemplify, illuminate, illumine, illustrate, lighten, rinse, tell off, throw). (various references)

Swedish

förklara (account for, be explained, clarify, declaration, declare, elucidate, explicate, expound, glorify, illuminate, interpret, profess, return, state). (various references)

Turkish

anlatmak (account for, be enunciative of, clarify, communicate, describe, explicate, express, narrate, put smth. across, recount, relate, report, show forth, tell, unload). (various references)

Turkmen 

dьюьndirmek, aяdyсlaюdyrmak (make clear). (various references)

Ukrainian

тлумачити (comment), виправдовуватися (alibi), пояснювати (account, account for, analogize, attribute, authorize, clear, comment, construe, elucidate, illustrate, rationalize, show, translate). (various references)

Welsh

esbonio (expound), egluro (make clear). (various references)

Yucatec

tsoolik (account for, clarify). (various references)

�ar. (various references)

exegeisthai. (various references)

declaro, definire, delicata, delicatae, delicate, delicati, delicatum, delicatus, demonstra, demonstrabatur, demonstrabit, demonstrabitur, demonstrabo, demonstrare, demonstrasti, demonstrat, demonstratum, demonstratus, demonstravi, demonstravit, demonstres, demonstro, dissere, disserebant, disserebat, dissertus, disseruit, edisserat, edissere, enarrabat, enarrabit, enarrabo, enarrabunt, enarrans, enarrant, enarrantem, enarrare, enarrari, enarras, enarrat, enarraverit, enarravi, enarravit, enarrem, enarrent, enarretis, evolutae, evolutis, evoluto, evolutus, evolvam, evolvit, evolvo, explanare, explicare, explicita, explicitis, explicuerit, exponat, exponebat, exponere, exponerent, exposita, exposito, expositura, expositurus, exposuerunt, exposui, exposuisset, exposuisti, exposuit, exsequor, ininterpretabilis, interpretandi, interpretantes, interpretaretur, interpretari, interpretata, interpretatum, interpretatur, interpretem, interpretes, interpretetur, interpretor, persolvo. (various references)

reccan. (various references)

Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits.

Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits.

Derivations

Words beginning with "explain": explainable, explained, explainer, explainers, explaining, explains. (additional references)

Words ending with "explain": overexplain. (additional references)

Words containing "explain": inexplainable, overexplained, overexplaining, overexplains, unexplainable, unexplained. (additional references)

Misspellings

"Explain" is suggested in spellcheckers for the following: eggsplene, eplain, Esplan, exlan, Exolon, expain, expla, explan, explane, Xpelair. (additional references)

Source: compiled by the editor (additional references); see credits.

Scrabble® Enable2K-Verified Anagrams

-1 letter: alexin, alpine, penial, pineal, xenial.

-2 letters: alien, aline, anile, axile, elain, lapin, liane, panel, penal, pilea, pixel, plain, plane, plena, xenia.

-3 letters: anil, apex, axel, axil, axle, elan, ilea, ilex, lain, lane, lean, leap, lien, line, lipa, lipe, nail, nape, neap, nipa, nixe, pail, pain, pale, pane, peal, pean, pein, pial, pian, pile.

+1 letter: explains.

+2 letters: exampling, explained, explainer, plaintext, poleaxing.

+3 letters: cephalexin, expansible, explainers, explaining, explanting, inexpiable, inexpiably, plaintexts.

+4 letters: cephalexins, exceptional, exculpating, exculpation, expansional, expansively, explainable, explanation, explanative, explicating, explication, exploration, exponential, overexplain, phytoalexin, unexplained.

+5 letters: complexation, complexional, exculpations, expediential, experiential, experimental, explanations, explantation, explications, exploitation