Library / English Dictionary

ELUCIDATE

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

 I. (verb) 

Sense 1

Meaning:

Make free from confusion or ambiguity; make clear

Example:

Clear up the question of who is at fault

Synonyms:

clear; clear up; crystalise; crystalize; crystallise; crystallize; elucidate; enlighten; illuminate; shed light on; sort out; straighten out

Classified under:

Verbs of thinking, judging, analyzing, doubting

Hypernyms (to "elucidate" is one way to...):

clarify; clear up; elucidate (make clear and (more) comprehensible)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something

Derivation:

elucidation (an interpretation that removes obstacles to understanding)

elucidation (an act of explaining that serves to clear up and cast light on)

elucidative (that makes clear)

lucidity (free from obscurity and easy to understand; the comprehensibility of clear expression)

lucidity (a lucid state of mind; not confused)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Make clear and (more) comprehensible

Example:

clarify the mystery surrounding her death

Synonyms:

clarify; clear up; elucidate

Classified under:

Verbs of telling, asking, ordering, singing

Hypernyms (to "elucidate" is one way to...):

explain; explicate (make plain and comprehensible)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "elucidate"):

demystify (make less mysterious or remove the mystery from)

clear; clear up; crystalise; crystalize; crystallise; crystallize; elucidate; enlighten; illuminate; shed light on; sort out; straighten out (make free from confusion or ambiguity; make clear)

dilate; elaborate; enlarge; expand; expatiate; exposit; expound; flesh out; lucubrate (add details, as to an account or idea; clarify the meaning of and discourse in a learned way, usually in writing)

disambiguate (state unambiguously or remove ambiguities from)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Something ----s something

Derivation:

elucidation (an interpretation that removes obstacles to understanding)

elucidation (an act of explaining that serves to clear up and cast light on)

elucidative (that makes clear)

lucidity (free from obscurity and easy to understand; the comprehensibility of clear expression)

Credits

 Context examples: 

Although UNBS5162 is a derivative of amonafide, this agent appears to have a different profile to that of amonafide and its exact mechanism of action remains to be fully elucidated.

(Naphthalimide Analogue UNBS5162, NCI Thesaurus)

Although the exact mechanism of action has yet to be fully elucidated, parconazole, like other azole antifungals, most likely inhibits the cytochrome P450 dependent 14 alpha demethylation of lanosterol.

(Parconazole, NCI Thesaurus)

Elucidate the pathogenic mechanisms of HIV-related opportunistic infections.

(Pathobiology of Wasting and Growth Retardation, NCI Thesaurus)

Although the exact mechanism of action of pipobroman has yet to be fully elucidated, this agent appears to act by alkylating DNA, leading to disruption of DNA replication and eventually cell death.

(Pipobroman, NCI Thesaurus)

Although the mechanism of action has yet to be fully elucidated, plant-derived hematopoiesis enhancer PG2 appears to stimulate multi-lineage progenitor cells that may be closely related to the hematopoietic stem cell.

(Plant-Derived Hematopoiesis Enhancer PG2, NCI Thesaurus)

Although the exact mechanism of action has yet to be fully elucidated, oxiconazole, like other azole antifungals, most likely inhibits the cytochrome P450-dependent demethylation of lanosterol.

(Oxiconazole, NCI Thesaurus)

Although the mechanism of action has not been fully elucidated, oxazepam appears to enhance gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) receptor affinity for GABA, thereby prolonging synaptic actions of GABA.

(Oxazepam, NCI Thesaurus)

Elucidate the progression of HIV infection, from its earliest stages through long-term sequelae.

(Natural History of Progression of HIV-related Diseases, NCI Thesaurus)

The identification of this superfamily helped elucidate some of the biologic functions of NGFR, including its ultimate involvement in the nuclear factor kappa-B (NFKB) and apoptosis pathways.

(Nerve Growth Factor Receptor, NCI Thesaurus)

In addition, olivomycin antibiotics are able to induce apoptosis in tumor cells through a mechanism that has not been fully elucidated.

(Olivomycin, NCI Thesaurus)