Noun a person, document, video, etc., that explains something (often used attributively): an explainer article that gives the reader background information about a news story.

• On Explaining
• Bishop Barron On Explaining Indulgences
• Explain Define
• Books On Explaining Death To Children

1. explain:
   • explain; make explicit; make clear; elucidate; clarify; exemplify; expound; illustrate; throw light on; say; describe; depict; define; report; tell; recount; cover; inform; brief; instruct; teach; prepare; train; learn; excuse; explicate
   • explain; elucidate; make clear

Detailed Synonyms for explain in English

1. To explain; to excuse. – serve as a reason or cause or justification of 1. Explain verb (explains, explained, explaining) Her recent divorce may explain her reluctance to date again 1. Excuse verb (excuses, excused, excusing) Your need to sleep late does not excuse your late arrival at work 1.
2. On Explaining Language. See all Hide authors and affiliations. Science 09 May 1969: Vol. 164, Issue 3880, pp. 635-643 DOI: 10.1126/science.164.3880.635. Article; Info & Metrics; eLetters; PDF; This is a PDF-only article. The first page of the PDF of this article appears.
3. Understanding definition, mental process of a person who comprehends; comprehension; personal interpretation: My understanding of the word does not agree with yours.

explain:

1. to explain

   to explain; to make explicit; to make clear

   • explainverb(explains, explained, explaining)
   • make explicitverb(makes explicit, made explicit, making explicit)
   • make clearverb(makes clear, made clear, making clear)

2. to explain

   to elucidate; to clarify

   – make clear and (more) comprehensible¹

   • elucidateverb(elucidates, elucidated, elucidating)
   • clarifyverb(clarifies, clarified, clarifying)

     • clarify the mystery surrounding her death¹
   to exemplify; to explain; to expound; to illustrate; to throw light on

   • exemplifyverb(exemplifies, exemplified, exemplifying)
   • explainverb(explains, explained, explaining)
   • expoundverb(expounds, expounded, expounding)
   • illustrateverb(illustrates, illustrated, illustrating)
   • throw light onverb(throws light on, threw light on, throwing light on)

3. to explain

   to explain

   • explainverb(explains, explained, explaining)

4. to explain

   to say; to expound; to describe; to depict; to define; to report; to tell; recount; to cover; to explain

   • sayverb(says, said, saying)
   • expoundverb(expounds, expounded, expounding)
   • describeverb(describes, described, describing)
   • depictverb(depicts, depicted, depicting)
   • defineverb(defines, defined, defining)
   • reportverb(reports, reported, reporting)
   • tellverb(tells, told, telling)
   • recountverb
   • coververb(covers, covered, covering)
   • explainverb(explains, explained, explaining)

5. to explain

   to inform; to brief; to instruct; to explain; to teach; to prepare; to train; to learn

   • informverb(informs, informed, informing)
   • briefverb(briefs, briefed, briefing)
   • instructverb(instructs, instructed, instructing)
   • explainverb(explains, explained, explaining)
   • teachverb(teaches, taught, teaching)
   • prepareverb(prepares, prepared, preparing)
   • trainverb(trains, trained, training)
   • learnverb(learns, learnt, learning)

6. to explain

   – serve as a reason or cause or justification of¹
   to explain; to excuse

   – serve as a reason or cause or justification of¹

   • explainverb(explains, explained, explaining)

     • Her recent divorce may explain her reluctance to date again¹
   • excuseverb(excuses, excused, excusing)

     • Your need to sleep late does not excuse your late arrival at work¹

7. to explain

   – make plain and comprehensible¹
   to explain; explicate

   – make plain and comprehensible¹

   • explainverb(explains, explained, explaining)

     • He explained the laws of physics to his students¹
   • explicateverb

8. to explain

   to explain

   – define¹

   • explainverb(explains, explained, explaining)

     • The committee explained their plan for fund-raising to the Dean¹

Conjugations for explain:

present

1. explain
2. explain
3. explains
4. explain
5. explain
6. explain

simple past

1. explained
2. explained
3. explained
4. explained
5. explained
6. explained

present perfect

1. have explained
2. have explained
3. has explained
4. have explained
5. have explained
6. have explained

past continuous

1. was explaining
2. were explaining
3. was explaining
4. were explaining
5. were explaining
6. were explaining

future

1. shall explain
2. will explain
3. will explain
4. shall explain
5. will explain
6. will explain

continuous present

1. am explaining
2. are explaining
3. is explaining
4. are explaining
5. are explaining
6. are explaining

subjunctive

1. be explained
2. be explained
3. be explained
4. be explained
5. be explained
6. be explained

1. explain

   explain; make clear

   • explain
   elucidate

   – make clear and (more) comprehensible¹

Related Words for 'explain':

• reexplain, explaining, explained, explainable

Alternate Synonyms for 'explain':

On Explaining

• explicate; inform
• state; say; tell
• excuse; justify; vindicate

Related Definitions for 'explain':

1. serve as a reason or cause or justification of¹
   • Her recent divorce may explain her reluctance to date again¹
2. make plain and comprehensible¹
   • He explained the laws of physics to his students¹
3. define¹
   • The committee explained their plan for fund-raising to the Dean¹

Related Synonyms for explain

Bishop Barron On Explaining Indulgences

• ¹WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University

Explain Define

Books On Explaining Death To Children