Dictionary

explanation en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• /ˌekspləˈnæɪʃən/ (Australia, New-Zealand)
• (California) audio
• /ˌɛkspləˈneɪʃən/ (Canada, General-American, Received-Pronunciation)

Etymology

From Latin explanatio (“an explanation, interpretation”), from explanare (“explain”); see explain. Morphologically explain + -ation. Displaced native Old English racu.

Meanings

1. (countable, uncountable) The act or process of explaining.
   • The explanation was long and drawn-out.
2. (countable, uncountable) Something that explains or makes understandable.
   • An explanation for the UFO sightings was easily found.
   • The socialist will, of course, see in this merely a proof that the more intelligent person is today bound to become a socialist. But this is far from being the necessary or even the most likely explanation. 1949, F. A. Hayek, “The Intellectuals and Socialism”, in University of Chicago Law Review, volume 16, number 3, Chicago: University of Chicago, →DOI, page 427:
3. (countable, uncountable) A resolution of disputed points pursuant to discussion; a mutual clarification of disputed points; reconciliation.
   • This little explanation with Mr. Knightley gave Emma considerable pleasure. 1815, Jane Austen, Emma, volume III, chapter 3:

Forms

Deriveds

reexplanation · explainification · explanationist · misexplanation · overexplanation · subexplanation · explanationism · explorable explanation · inference to the best explanation · counterexplanation · nonexplanation

Relateds

explicator · explain · explanatory · explicatory · explicative

Synonyms

explication (act or process of explaining) · explaining (act or process of explaining) · elaboration (act or process of explaining) · femsplaining (act or process of explaining) · clarification (act or process of explaining) · elucidation (act or process of explaining) · mansplanation (act or process of explaining) · mansplaining (act or process of explaining)

Translations (150)

ang racu (something that explains) · nb forklaring (the act or process of explaining) · fa-ira تُوْضیح (the act or process of explaining) · is útskýring (the act or process of explaining) · es explicación (the act or process of explaining) · az izah etmə (the act or process of explaining) · nl uitvlucht (reconciliation) · ru растолко́вывание (the act or process of explaining) · de Erklärung (something that explains) · ar نِقَاش (the act or process of explaining) · nl uitleg (reconciliation) · uk роз'я́снення (the act or process of explaining) · pt explicação (something that explains) · oc explicacion (the act or process of explaining) · et selgitus (the act or process of explaining) · is útskýring (something that explains) · sq ftillim (the act or process of explaining) · uk поя́снення (something that explains) · hu értelmezés (the act or process of explaining) · de Ausführung (the act or process of explaining) · ar إِيضَاح (the act or process of explaining) · it esegesi (the act or process of explaining) · ro explicare (the act or process of explaining) · eo klarigo (something that explains) · tg шарҳ (the act or process of explaining) · bn ব্যাখ্যা (the act or process of explaining) · gd soilleireachadh (the act or process of explaining) · km ការពន្យល់ (the act or process of explaining) · da forklaring (the act or process of explaining) · de Erklärung (the act or process of explaining) · hi व्याख्या (the act or process of explaining) · lv skaidrojums (the act or process of explaining) · ay qhananchawi (the act or process of explaining) · ru оправда́ние (reconciliation) · cs vysvětlení (something that explains) · yue 說明 /说明 (something that explains) · be аб'ясьне́нне (the act or process of explaining) · pl wyjaśnienie (the act or process of explaining) · sq sqarim (the act or process of explaining) · nl uitleg (something that explains) · eo klarigo (the act or process of explaining) · ja 説明 (the act or process of explaining) · mk објаснување (the act or process of explaining) · th การอธิบาย (something that explains) · lt paaiškinimas (the act or process of explaining) · cmn 說明 /说明 (the act or process of explaining) · fi selittäminen (the act or process of explaining) · fy útlis (the act or process of explaining) · el εξήγηση (the act or process of explaining) · da forklaring (something that explains) · yue 說明 /说明 (the act or process of explaining) · be аб'ясьне́ньне (the act or process of explaining) · ru объясне́ние (the act or process of explaining) · az izah (something that explains) · sh објашње́ње (the act or process of explaining) · te వివరణ (the act or process of explaining) · tr açıklama (the act or process of explaining) · hu magyarázat (the act or process of explaining) · ang racu (the act or process of explaining) · as ব্যাখ্যা (the act or process of explaining) · hu kifejtés (the act or process of explaining) · it spiegazione (the act or process of explaining) · ast esplicación (something that explains) · grc ἐξήγησις (something that explains) · sq shpjegim (the act or process of explaining) · ga mínithe (the act or process of explaining) · gd mìneachadh (the act or process of explaining) · hi समझाना (the act or process of explaining) · it chiarificazione (the act or process of explaining) · mn тайлбар (the act or process of explaining) · pt explanação (the act or process of explaining) · nl uitleg (the act or process of explaining) · ko 설명 (the act or process of explaining) · de Erläuterung (the act or process of explaining) · hu indoklás (the act or process of explaining) · af verduideliking (the act or process of explaining) · uz izoh (something that explains) · fr explication (the act or process of explaining) · pl objaśnienie (the act or process of explaining) · gl explicación (the act or process of explaining) · cs vysvětlení (the act or process of explaining) · mr स्पष्टीकरण (the act or process of explaining) · uk поя́снення (the act or process of explaining) · ur وَضاحَت (the act or process of explaining) · be тлумачэ́ньне (the act or process of explaining) · ur تَوضِیح (the act or process of explaining) · prs تَوْضِیح (the act or process of explaining) · ar تَوْضِيح (the act or process of explaining) · fa-ira شَرْح (the act or process of explaining) · ar شَرْح (the act or process of explaining) · tr izah (something that explains) · sv förklaring (the act or process of explaining) · cy eglurhad (the act or process of explaining) · ga míniú (the act or process of explaining) · la lux (the act or process of explaining) · el δικαιολογία (reconciliation) · ka განმარტება (the act or process of explaining) · ca explicació (the act or process of explaining) · cmn 解釋 /解释 (the act or process of explaining) · hu megfejtés (something that explains) · hi स्पष्टीकरण (the act or process of explaining) · ru объясне́ние (something that explains) · th การอธิบาย (the act or process of explaining) · sh objašnjénje (the act or process of explaining) · ru разъясне́ние (the act or process of explaining) · nl verklaring (the act or process of explaining) · bg обясне́ние (something that explains) · fi selitys (something that explains) · grc ἐξήγησις (the act or process of explaining) · hu tisztázás (reconciliation) · ota افاده (the act or process of explaining) · hi व्याख्या (something that explains) · it esplicazione (the act or process of explaining) · sl razlaga (the act or process of explaining) · hy մեկնաբանություն (the act or process of explaining) · ro explicație (something that explains) · prs شَرْح (the act or process of explaining) · tl paliwanag (the act or process of explaining) · eu azalpen (the act or process of explaining) · cmn 說明 /说明 (something that explains) · bg обясне́ние (the act or process of explaining) · be тлумачэ́нне (the act or process of explaining) · nl verklaring (something that explains) · pt explicação (the act or process of explaining) · tg тавзеҳ (the act or process of explaining) · pt explanação (something that explains) · uk тлума́чення (the act or process of explaining) · gl explicación (something that explains) · got 𐍃𐌺𐌴𐌹𐍂𐌴𐌹𐌽𐍃 (the act or process of explaining) · la explanatio (the act or process of explaining) · ar تَفْسِير (the act or process of explaining) · hy բացատրություն (the act or process of explaining) · ca explicació (something that explains) · id penjelasan (the act or process of explaining) · sk objasnenie (the act or process of explaining) · fr explication (reconciliation) · sk vysvetlenie (the act or process of explaining) · yue 解釋 /解释 (the act or process of explaining) · he הֶסבֵּר (the act or process of explaining) · bg оправда́ние (reconciliation) · hu magyarázat (something that explains) · cs objasnění (the act or process of explaining) · hi विवरण (something that explains) · nl toelichting (the act or process of explaining) · ast esplicación (the act or process of explaining) · fr explication (something that explains) · chr ꮧꭺꮟꮜꮕ (the act or process of explaining) · el εξήγηση (something that explains) · mfe explikasion (the act or process of explaining) · ar تَعْلِيل (the act or process of explaining)