explain Meaning, Definition & Usage

  1. verb make plain and comprehensible
    explicate.
    • He explained the laws of physics to his students
  2. verb define
    • The committee explained their plan for fund-raising to the Dean
  3. verb serve as a reason or cause or justification of
    excuse.
    • Your need to sleep late does not excuse your late arrival at work
    • Her recent divorce may explain her reluctance to date again

WordNet

Ex*plain" transitive verb
Etymology
L. explandare to flatten, spread out, explain; ex out+plandare to make level or plain, planus plain: cf. OF. esplaner, explaner. See Plain,a., and cf. Esplanade.
Wordforms
imperfect & past participle Explained;present participle & verbal noun Explaining
Definitions
  1. To flatten; to spread out; to unfold; to expand. Obs.
    The horse-chestnut is . . . ready to explain its leaf. Evelyn.
  2. To make plain, manifest, or intelligible; to clear of obscurity; to expound; to unfold and illustrate the meaning of; as, to explain a chapter of the Bible.
    Commentators to explain the difficult passages to you. Gay.
    Pope. Syn. -- To expound; interpret; elucidate; clear up.
Ex*plain" intransitive verb
Definitions
  1. To give an explanation.

Webster 1913