Dictionary

elucidate en · VERB · etymology 1

Pronunciation

• (Received-Pronunciation) audio
• /ɪˈl(j)uːsɪdeɪt/ (Received-Pronunciation)
• /i-/ (General-American)
• /əˈlusəˌdeɪt/ (General-American)

Etymology

From Late Latin ēlūcidātus, perfect passive participle of ēlūcidō (“to lighten, enlighten”) (see -ate (verb-forming suffix)), from ē(x)- (“out, from”) + lūcidus (“bright, clear, understandable”) + -ō (first conjugation verb-forming suffix), literally “to make light of (something)”, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *lewk- (“bright; to see; to shine”). Compare French élucider.

Meanings

1. (obsolete, transitive) To make (something) lucid (“bright, luminous; also, clear, transparent”).
2. (figuratively, transitive) To make (something) clear and understandable; to clarify, to illuminate, to shed light on.
   • The new Sopranos volume has 17 essays that examine the television show and elucidate concepts from classical philosophers, including Aristotle, [Niccolò] Machiavelli, [Friedrich] Nietzsche, Sun Tzu and Plato. 2004 April 13, David Bernstein, “Philosophy hitches a ride with ‘The Sopranos’”, in The New York Times, New York, N.Y.: The New York Times Company, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 16 Aug 2023:
   • [P]hysicians at the annual meeting of the American Academy of General Practice were fascinated by a 3-ft. model showing the brain's components in 20 layers of translucent plastic, and wired for colored lights to elucidate some of its workings. 1960 April 4, “Medicine: Unmasking the Brain”, in Time, New York, N.Y.: Time Inc., →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 08 Oct 2010:
   • His notes abound with interesting quotations, and have the rare merit of really elucidating the text. 1825 August, Thomas Babington Macaulay, “[John] Milton. […]”, in Critical and Historical Essays, Contributed to the Edinburgh Review. […], 2nd edition, volume I, London: […] Longman, Brown, Green, and Longmans, […], published 1843, →OCLC, page 2:
   • Dining at Mr. [Samuel] Pepys's, Dr. Slayer shewed us an experiment of a wonderful nature, […] This matter or phosphorus was made out of human blood and urine, elucidating the vital flame or heate in animal bodys. 1685 December 22 (Gregorian calendar), John Evelyn, “[Diary entry for 13 December 1685]”, in William Bray, editor, Memoirs, Illustrative of the Life and Writings of John Evelyn, […], 2nd edition, volume I, London: Henry Colburn, […]; and sold by John and Arthur Arch, […], published 1819, →OCLC, page 620:
   • Another appendix elucidates the S.E.C.R. headcode system. 1961 July, “New Reading on Railways: The Locomotives of the South Eastern & Chatham Railway, by D. L. Bradley”, in Trains Illustrated, London: Ian Allan Publishing, →ISSN, →OCLC, page vii:
   • The antiquities of France have been elucidated by a learned and ingenious people: […] a. 1795 (date written), Edward Gibbon, “An Address, &c.”, in John Lord Sheffield [i.e., John Baker Holroyd, 1st Earl of Sheffield], editor, Miscellaneous Works of Edward Gibbon, Esquire. […], volume II, London: […] A[ndrew] Strahan, and T[homas] Cadell Jun. and W[illiam] Davies, (successors to Mr. [Thomas] Cadell), […], published 1796, →OCLC, page 712:
   • Let me hear vvhat your ovvn conceptions are of the matter, if they tend to elucidate or reconcile. 1675, Richard Baxter, “The Second Book. The Fifth Days Conference with an Arminian of Mans Natural Sinfulness and Impotency to Good, and of Free-will.”, in Richard Baxter’s Catholick Theologie: […], London: […] Robert White, for Nevill Simmons […], →OCLC, page 88:
   • The business however, though not perfectly elucidated by this speech, soon ceased to be a puzzle. 1803 (date written), [Jane Austen], chapter XIII, in Northanger Abbey; published in Northanger Abbey: And Persuasion. […], volume I, London: John Murray, […], 20 December 1817 (indicated as 1818), →OCLC, page 237:
   • Peter elucidateth the Frauds in Literature by a Smock Race. 1812, Peter Pindar [pseudonym; John Wolcot], “Nil Admirari; or, A Smile at a Bishop; […]. Argument.”, in The Works of Peter Pindar, Esq. […], new edition, volume IV, London: […] J[ohn] Walker, G. Wilkie and J. Robinson, G. Robinson, […]; and G. Goulding and Co. […], →OCLC, page 272:
   • O Lord! somewhere Thou elucidatest the traits of song and sound and somewhere Thou art the treasure of dancing and painting. 2005, Guru Gobind Singh, “Akal Ustat: Eulogy of the Non-temporal Lord”, in Surindar Singh Kohli, transl., The Dasam Granth = ਸ੍ਰੀ ਦਸਮ ਗ੍ਰੰਥ ਸਾਹਿਬ [Shrī Dasama Grantha Sāhiba]: The Second Scripture of the Sikhs, New Delhi: Ashok Jain for Munshiram Manoharlal Publishers, published 2020, →ISBN, page 39, column 2:
   • [W]e find no need of, and no use for, the peculiar technical terminology which he and his masters the Germans have introduced into philosophy, […] which this language, in our judgment, serves not to elucidate, but to disguise and obscure. 1840 March, John Stuart Mill, “Coleridge”, in Dissertations and Discussions Political, Philosophical, and Historical […], volume I, London: John W[illiam] Parker and Son, […], published 1859, →OCLC, page 409:
   • [A]s it is known that he [Guillaume Duchenne de Boulogne] was eminently successful in elucidating the physiology of the muscles of the hand by the aid of electricity, it is probably that he is generally in the right about the muscles of the face. 1872, Charles Darwin, “Introduction”, in The Expression of the Emotions in Man and Animals, London: John Murray, […], →OCLC, page 5:

Forms

Deriveds

elucidation · unelucidated · elucidator · elucidatory · elucidative

Relateds

lucid · lucidly · pellucidity · pellucidness · pellucid · lucidity · enlighten · unlucid · pellucidly · nonlucid · lucidness

Synonyms

explain · explicate

Translations (56)

no klargjøre (to make (something) clear and understandable — see also clarify, illuminate, dilucidate) · hu kifejt (to make (something) clear and understandable — see also clarify, illuminate, dilucidate) · cs ozřejmit (to make (something) clear and understandable — see also clarify, illuminate, dilucidate) · yue 解釋 /解释 (to make (something) clear and understandable — see also clarify, illuminate, dilucidate) · pt elucidar (to make (something) clear and understandable — see also clarify, illuminate, dilucidate) · es elucidar (to make (something) clear and understandable — see also clarify, illuminate, dilucidate) · hu világossá/érthetővé tesz (to make (something) clear and understandable — see also clarify, illuminate, dilucidate) · yue 說明 /说明 (to make (something) clear and understandable — see also clarify, illuminate, dilucidate) · sv kasta ljus över (to make (something) clear and understandable — see also clarify, illuminate, dilucidate) · de erklären (to make (something) clear and understandable — see also clarify, illuminate, dilucidate) · ca dilucidar (to make (something) clear and understandable — see also clarify, illuminate, dilucidate) · mi whakamāori (to make (something) clear and understandable — see also clarify, illuminate, dilucidate) · he ביאר \ בֵּאֵר (to make (something) clear and understandable — see also clarify, illuminate, dilucidate) · ru разъясня́ть (to make (something) clear and understandable — see also clarify, illuminate, dilucidate) · nl verklaren (to make (something) clear and understandable — see also clarify, illuminate, dilucidate) · az aydınlaşdırmaq (to make (something) clear and understandable — see also clarify, illuminate, dilucidate) · fr expliquer (to make (something) clear and understandable — see also clarify, illuminate, dilucidate) · pl objaśniać (to make (something) clear and understandable — see also clarify, illuminate, dilucidate) · mi whakamārama (to make (something) clear and understandable — see also clarify, illuminate, dilucidate) · yue 闡明 /阐明 (to make (something) clear and understandable — see also clarify, illuminate, dilucidate) · fi selventää (to make (something) clear and understandable — see also clarify, illuminate, dilucidate) · sv förklara (to make (something) clear and understandable — see also clarify, illuminate, dilucidate) · fi havainnollistaa (to make (something) clear and understandable — see also clarify, illuminate, dilucidate) · de erläutern (to make (something) clear and understandable — see also clarify, illuminate, dilucidate) · cmn 解釋 /解释 (to make (something) clear and understandable — see also clarify, illuminate, dilucidate) · fi valaista (to make (something) clear and understandable — see also clarify, illuminate, dilucidate) · cmn 闡明 /阐明 (to make (something) clear and understandable — see also clarify, illuminate, dilucidate) · nl verduidelijken (to make (something) clear and understandable — see also clarify, illuminate, dilucidate) · bg разяснявам (to make (something) clear and understandable — see also clarify, illuminate, dilucidate) · az aydınlıq gətirmək (to make (something) clear and understandable — see also clarify, illuminate, dilucidate) · fr élucider (to make (something) clear and understandable — see also clarify, illuminate, dilucidate) · de verdeutlichen (to make (something) clear and understandable — see also clarify, illuminate, dilucidate) · hu tisztáz (to make (something) clear and understandable — see also clarify, illuminate, dilucidate) · tr açığa çıkarmak (to make (something) clear and understandable — see also clarify, illuminate, dilucidate) · yue 闡釋 /阐释 (to make (something) clear and understandable — see also clarify, illuminate, dilucidate) · tr aydınlatmak (to make (something) clear and understandable — see also clarify, illuminate, dilucidate) · it chiarire (to make (something) clear and understandable — see also clarify, illuminate, dilucidate) · pt esclarecer (to make (something) clear and understandable — see also clarify, illuminate, dilucidate) · sv belysa (to make (something) clear and understandable — see also clarify, illuminate, dilucidate) · nl uitleggen (to make (something) clear and understandable — see also clarify, illuminate, dilucidate) · mi whakamahuki (to make (something) clear and understandable — see also clarify, illuminate, dilucidate) · hu megmagyaráz (to make (something) clear and understandable — see also clarify, illuminate, dilucidate) · mi whakapūaho (to make (something) clear and understandable — see also clarify, illuminate, dilucidate) · pl wyświetlać (to make (something) clear and understandable — see also clarify, illuminate, dilucidate) · pl wyjaśniać (to make (something) clear and understandable — see also clarify, illuminate, dilucidate) · cmn 說明 /说明 (to make (something) clear and understandable — see also clarify, illuminate, dilucidate) · it delucidare (to make (something) clear and understandable — see also clarify, illuminate, dilucidate) · hu értelmez (to make (something) clear and understandable — see also clarify, illuminate, dilucidate) · fa روشن کردن (to make (something) clear and understandable — see also clarify, illuminate, dilucidate) · nl verhelderen (to make (something) clear and understandable — see also clarify, illuminate, dilucidate) · he פירש \ פֵּרֵשׁ (to make (something) clear and understandable — see also clarify, illuminate, dilucidate) · qu chiqaqchay (to make (something) clear and understandable — see also clarify, illuminate, dilucidate) · da uddybe (to make (something) clear and understandable — see also clarify, illuminate, dilucidate) · hu megvilágít (to make (something) clear and understandable — see also clarify, illuminate, dilucidate) · sv klargöra (to make (something) clear and understandable — see also clarify, illuminate, dilucidate) · nl clarificeren (to make (something) clear and understandable — see also clarify, illuminate, dilucidate)

elucidate en · ADJ · etymology 2

Pronunciation

• /ɪˈl(j)uːsɪdət/ (Received-Pronunciation)
• /i-/ (General-American)
• /əˈlusəˌdət/ (General-American)

Etymology

From Late Latin ēlūcidātus (“lightened, enlightened”), see Etymology 1 and -ate (adjective-forming suffix) for more.

Meanings

1. (obsolete, transitive) Clear, understandable.
   • There vvas not a greater Maſter of Perſpicuity, and elucidate Diſtinctions; vvhich look'd the better in his [John Williams'] Engliſh, that ran ſvveet upon his Tongue, eſpecially being ſet out vvith a graceful Facetiouſneſs, that hit the joint of the Matter: For his VVit, and his Judgment, never parted. a. 1671 (date written), John Hacket, Scrinia Reserata: A Memorial Offer’d to the Great Deservings of John Williams, D.D. […], part I, In the Savoy [London]: […] Edw[ard] Jones, for Samuel Lowndes, […], published 1693, →OCLC, paragraph 46, page 39:

Forms

Antonyms

opacular · thick · adiaphanous · opacous · opaque · nontransparent

Synonyms

undoubted · undissembled · glaring · conspicuous · bait · plain as day · manifest · plain as porridge · clear · decided · intuitive · palpable · eyely · clear as a bell · plain as print · plain · notable · obvious · plain as a haystack · plain as Salisbury · open-and-shut · arrant · plain as a pikestaff · clear cut · prima facie · res ipsa loquitur · cut and dried · evident · ostensible · noticeable · splendent · straightforward · apparent · crystal clear · clear as day · plain as the nose on one's face · plain as Dunstable highway · patent · elucidate · blatant