Meaning

5 senses

  1. (transitive)To make plain, manifest, or intelligible; to clear of obscurity; to illustrate the meaning of.

    The issue was explained to the governor in detail.

    make plain and comprehensible

  2. (transitive)To give the reason for, justification for, or cause of.

    erklären

    опра́вдыватьoprávdyvatʹ, оправда́тьopravdátʹ

    serve as a reason or cause or justification of

  3. (intransitive)To make something plain or intelligible.

    She tried to explain but he wouldn’t listen.

    erklären, erläutern

    объясня́тьobʺjasnjátʹ, объясни́тьobʺjasnítʹ

    поя́снюватиpojásnjuvaty, поясня́тиpojasnjáty, поясни́тиpojasnýty

  4. (obsolete)To make flat, smooth out.

  5. (obsolete)To unfold or make visible.

    April 14, 1684, John Evelyn, a letter sent to the Royal Society concerning the damage done to his gardens by the preceding winter The horse-chestnut is […] ready to explain its leaf.

Examples

2891 sentences

  1. Please explain how to get there.

    Будьте ласкаві, поясніть, як туди добратися. — Ahha

    ruОбъясните, пожалуйста, как туда добраться. — tirpitz

    deBitte erklären Sie, wie man dorthin gelangt. — mayabe

    CC BY 2.0 FR · Tatoeba · CK · A2Open on TatoebaReport a problem

  2. I explained the process to him.

    Я пояснив йому процес. — deniko

    ruЯ объяснил ему процедуру. — odexed

    CC BY 2.0 FR · Tatoeba · CK · B1Open on TatoebaReport a problem

  3. Please explain this sentence to me.

    Будь ласка, поясніть мені це речення. — deniko

    ruПожалуйста, объясни мне эту фразу. — odexed

    deBitte erklär mir diesen Satz! — Pfirsichbaeumchen

    CC BY 2.0 FR · Tatoeba · CK · A2Open on TatoebaReport a problem

  4. Please explain it to me later.

    Поясніть, будь ласка, пізніше. — hectorvk

    ruПожалуйста, объясните мне это потом. — odexed

    deErklär es mir bitte später. — totpreussen

    CC BY 2.0 FR · Tatoeba · CK · A2Open on TatoebaReport a problem

  5. I explained the rule to him.

    Я пояснив йому правило. — menix

    ruЯ объяснил ему правило. — Aj

    CC BY 2.0 FR · Tatoeba · CK · A2Open on TatoebaReport a problem

Translations

9 languages
Українська
By meaning 1
to make intelligible:
Русский
By meaning 2
excuse:
to make intelligible:
Deutsch
By meaning 2
excuse:
to make intelligible:

Origin

From Middle English explanen, from Old French explaner, from Latin explanō (“to flatten, s

From Middle English explanen, from Old French explaner, from Latin explanō (“to flatten, spread out, make plain or clear, explain”), from ex- (“out”) + planō (“to flatten, make level”), from planus (“level, plain”); see plain and plane. Compare esplanade, splanade. Displaced Old English reċċan.

Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0 · source

Forms

explains, explaining, explained, explained
Base formexplain · to explain
3rd person singularexplains
Present participleexplaining
Past simpleexplained
Past participleexplained

regular · Lesson

Present simpleLesson

I, you, we, theyexplain
he, she, itexplains

Past simpleLesson

all personsexplained

Present perfectLesson

I, you, we, theyhave explained
he, she, ithas explained

Future simple (will)Lesson

all personswill explain

Synonyms

23 synonyms
give a sufficiently detailed report:elaborateC1expoundrecceelucidatebring homeaccount for
clarifyB2describeA1directB1illustrateB2informB1instructB2justifyB2specifyB2teachA1unravelC2untangleC1absolvediscloseupsolve
Close in meaning
  • make plain and comprehensible:explicate
  • serve as a reason or cause or justification of:excuse

Antonyms

1 antonyms
obscureC1

Word family

22 related words
RelatedexplanationA2explanatoryC1explanatorily
Derivedafore-explaineddexifyexplainabilityexplainableexplain awayexplaineeexplainerexplainifyexplaininglyexplanificationmansplainmisexplainoverexplainplease explainre-explainunderexplainunexplainableunexplainedweedsplain

Lessons for this word

3 lessons

Collocations

12 patterns
  • explain everything to
  • explain everything
  • explain the situation
  • tried to explain
  • explained the rules
  • to explain everything
  • explain that to
  • need to explain
  • can't explain
  • please explain
  • explain this to
  • time to explain

See also

neighbours in the dictionary
expertlyexpirationexpireC1expiryexplainableexplanationA2explanatoryC1expletive
explain — meaning, examples, forms, synonyms | Krumeto