Library / English Dictionary

EXPLAIN

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

 I. (verb) 

Sense 1

Meaning:

Serve as a reason or cause or justification of

Example:

Her recent divorce may explain her reluctance to date again

Synonyms:

excuse; explain

Classified under:

Verbs of telling, asking, ordering, singing

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

justify; vindicate (show to be right by providing justification or proof)

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

alibi (exonerate by means of an alibi)

Sentence frame:

Something ----s something

Derivation:

explanation (the act of explaining; making something plain or intelligible)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Make plain and comprehensible

Example:

He explained the laws of physics to his students

Synonyms:

explain; explicate

Classified under:

Verbs of telling, asking, ordering, singing

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

inform (impart knowledge of some fact, state of affairs, or event to)

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

interpret; rede (give an interpretation or explanation to)

account for (give reasons for)

naturalize (explain with reference to nature)

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

comment (explain or interpret something)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s somebody
Something ----s something
Somebody ----s that CLAUSE

Sentence example:

Sam and Sue explain the movie

Derivation:

explanation (the act of explaining; making something plain or intelligible)

explanatory (serving or intended to explain or make clear)

Sense 3

Meaning:

Define

Example:

The committee explained their plan for fund-raising to the Dean

Classified under:

Verbs of telling, asking, ordering, singing

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

say; state; tell (express in words)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s that CLAUSE

Sentence example:

They explain that there was a traffic accident

Derivation:

explanation (a statement that makes something comprehensible by describing the relevant structure or operation or circumstances etc.)

explanatory (serving or intended to explain or make clear)

Credits

 Context examples: 

"We know that people often don't want to admit that they have hurt feelings, so in some of the studies, we looked at how much people wanted to seek revenge," explains Dr. Freedman.

(Sometimes You Shouldn't Say Sorry, The Titi Tudorancea Bulletin)

I think that it is not difficult to explain the facts.

(The Return of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

These discoveries could explain why individuals with this genetic factor consume more food and have a higher BMI.

(International Research Team Finds Correlation Between Genetics and Obesity Is Modified by Diet, U.S. Department of Agriculture)

In theory, the interaction between the solar wind's energetic particles and atmospheric molecules could explain the GRaND observations.

(Ceres' Geological Activity, Ice Revealed in New Research, NASA)

He has again and again explained that it is not himself, but his office he wishes to mate.

(Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Brontë)

And thanks to our machine-learning approach, we not only validate the role of personality in explaining eye movement in everyday life, but also reveal new eye movement characteristics as predictors of personality traits.

(Eyes Can Indicate Personality Type, The Titi Tudorancea Bulletin)

“People usually eat food in a pattern. A chocolate lover would eat chocolate with something else,” Djoussé explains.

(Can Chocolate Really Be Good for You?, The Titi Tudorancea Bulletin)

"I could work faster," he explained, "if your irons were only hotter."

(Martin Eden, by Jack London)

His wretched physical condition explained why he lingered; and when he had recuperated, after several days' sojourn, he disappeared.

(Love of Life and Other Stories, by Jack London)

It gives a thrill to life, he explained to me, when life is carried in one’s hand.

(The Sea-Wolf, by Jack London)