explain

ɪkˈspleɪn

Definition

Conjugation

Definition of explain - Reverso English Dictionary

Verb

tr./intr.

clarifymake something clear or easy to understand

She explained the rules to the new players.

clarify

elucidate

justifygive reasons for actions or events

He explained why he was late to the meeting.

clarify

elucidate

justify

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Expressions with explain

💡 Discover popular phrases, idioms, collocations, or phrasal verbs. Click any expression to learn more, listen to its pronunciation, or save it to your favorites.

explain away

offer excuses for bad conduct or mistakes

He explained away his lateness by blaming the bus schedule.

please explain

politely ask for clarification or more information

Please explain the steps to complete the task.

explain the ropes

show someone how things work in a particular place

She explained the ropes to the interns on their first day.

re-explain

explain something again for better understanding

She had to re-explain the concept to the students.

Origin of explain

Latin, explanare (to make plain)

Terms with explain included in their meaning

💡 A powerful way to uncover related words, idioms, and expressions linked by the same idea — and explore meaning beyond exact word matches.

describe

communication

explain something in words

excuse

justification

reason given to explain or justify an action

let's talk about

exp.

explanation prompt

prompt to explain or describe something clearly

anyway

adv.

support

used to support or explain a previous point

illustrated

adj.

books

having pictures or diagrams to explain or decorate

account for

explanation

explain the reason or cause of something

clear up the confusion

explain

make something easier to understand

except that

adv.

explanation

used to explain why the main statement is not true

Examples of explain in a sentence

The teacher explained the math problem thoroughly.
She had to explain her sudden departure.
The manager explained the decision to the team.

View all translations of explain

✨Click below to see the appropriate translations facing each meaning.

French:expliquer, justifier, ...
German:erklären, begründen, ...
Italian:spiegare, motivare, ...
Spanish:explicar, justificar, ...
Portuguese:explicar, justificar, ...
Chinese:解释, 阐述, ...
Japanese:説明する, 弁明する, ...
Arabic:شَرَحَ, وَضَّحَ, ...
Hebrew:לְהַסְבִּיר, ...
Russian:объяснять, объяснить, ...
Ukrainian:пояснити, пояснювати, ...
Hindi:समझाना, विवरण देना, ...
Bengali:ব্যাখ্যা করা, কারণ প্রদান করা, ...
Catalan:explicar, justificar, ...
Czech:vysvětlit, zdůvodnit, ...
Danish:forklare, retfærdiggøre, ...
Dutch:uitleggen, verklaren, ...
Greek:εξηγώ, δικαιολογώ, ...
Hungarian:elmagyarázni, megindokolni, ...
Khmer:ពន្យល់, ...
Korean:설명하다, 이유를 대다, ...
Persian:توضیح دادن, توضیح داد, ...
Polish:wyjaśniać, ...
Portuguese (BR):explicar, justificar, ...
Romanian:a explica, a justifica, ...
Swedish:förklara, motivera, ...
Thai:อธิบาย, ...
Turkish:açıklamak, ...
Vietnamese:giải thích, lý giải, ...

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