explanation

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ex·pla·na·tion

(ĕk′splə-nā′shən)

1. The act or process of explaining: launched into a detailed explanation.

2. Something that explains: That was supposedly the explanation for their misdeeds.

3. A mutual clarification of misunderstandings; a reconciliation.

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

explanation

(ˌɛkspləˈneɪʃən)

1. the act or process of explaining

2. a statement or occurrence that explains

3. a clarification of disputed terms or points; reconciliation

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

ex•pla•na•tion

(ˌɛk spləˈneɪ ʃən)

n.

1. the act or process of explaining.

2. something that explains.

[1350–1400; Middle English < Latin]

ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:

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Noun	1.	explanation - a statement that makes something comprehensible by describing the relevant structure or operation or circumstances etc.; "the explanation was very simple"; "I expected a brief account" account statement - a message that is stated or declared; a communication (oral or written) setting forth particulars or facts etc; "according to his statement he was in London on that day" explanandum, explicandum - (logic) a statement of something (a fact or thing or expression) to be explained explanans - (logic) statements that explain the explicandum; the explanatory premises simplification - an explanation that omits superfluous details and reduces complexity accounting - a convincing explanation that reveals basic causes; "he was unable to give a clear accounting for his actions" reason - an explanation of the cause of some phenomenon; "the reason a steady state was never reached was that the back pressure built up too slowly" justification - a statement in explanation of some action or belief exposition - an account that sets forth the meaning or intent of a writing or discourse; "we would have understood the play better if there had been some initial exposition of the background" explication - a detailed explanation of the meaning of something gloss, rubric - an explanation or definition of an obscure word in a text deriving, etymologizing, derivation - (historical linguistics) an explanation of the historical origins of a word or phrase definition - a concise explanation of the meaning of a word or phrase or symbol interpretation - an explanation that results from interpreting something; "the report included his interpretation of the forensic evidence" walk-through - a thorough explanation (usually accompanied by a demonstration) of each step in a procedure or process; "she gave me a walk-through of my new duties"
	2.	explanation - thought that makes something comprehensible interpreting, rendering, rendition, interpretation - an explanation of something that is not immediately obvious; "the edict was subject to many interpretations"; "he annoyed us with his interpreting of parables"; "often imitations are extended to provide a more accurate rendition of the child's intended meaning" cerebration, intellection, mentation, thinking, thought process, thought - the process of using your mind to consider something carefully; "thinking always made him frown"; "she paused for thought" rationale, principle - (law) an explanation of the fundamental reasons (especially an explanation of the working of some device in terms of laws of nature); "the rationale for capital punishment"; "the principles of internal-combustion engines" cornerstone, fundament, groundwork, basis, foundation, base - the fundamental assumptions from which something is begun or developed or calculated or explained; "the whole argument rested on a basis of conjecture" key - something crucial for explaining; "the key to development is economic integration" rationalization, rationalisation - the cognitive process of making something seem consistent with or based on reason theory - a well-substantiated explanation of some aspect of the natural world; an organized system of accepted knowledge that applies in a variety of circumstances to explain a specific set of phenomena; "theories can incorporate facts and laws and tested hypotheses"; "true in fact and theory"
	3.	explanation - the act of explaining; making something plain or intelligible; "I heard his explanation of the accident" speech act - the use of language to perform some act elucidation - an act of explaining that serves to clear up and cast light on explication - the act of making clear or removing obscurity from the meaning of a word or symbol or expression etc.

explanation

noun

1. reason, meaning, cause, sense, answer, account, excuse, motive, justification, vindication, mitigation, the why and wherefore The president has given no explanation for his behaviour.

2. description, report, definition, demonstration, teaching, resolution, interpretation, illustration, clarification, exposition, simplification, explication, elucidation his lucid explanation of the mysteries of cricket

Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002

explanation

noun

1. Something that serves to explain or clarify:

clarification, construction, decipherment, elucidation, exegesis, explication, exposition, illumination, illustration, interpretation.

Archaic: enucleation.

2. A statement of causes or motives:

account, justification, rationale, rationalization, reason.

Translations

تَفْسير، تَعْليلشَرْحشَرْح، تَفْسير

vysvětlení

forklaringredegørelsebegrundelse

Erklärung Erläuterung Aufklärung Ausführung

εξήγηση

explicación aclaración

selitys

explication

objašenjenje

magyarázat

skÿring

spiegazione chiarificazione definizione interpretazione

説明

설명

uitleg uitvlucht verklaring toelichting

forklaring utgreiing årsak

objaśnienie

explicação explanação

объяснение

pojasnilo

förklaring

คำอธิบาย

açıklama

lời giải thích

解释说明

explanation

[ˌekspləˈneɪʃən] N (= act, statement) → explicación f; [of plan] → explicación f, exposición f; [of problem, mystery] → aclaración f; (= excuse) → disculpa f
what is the explanation of this? → ¿cómo se explica esto?
there must be some explanation → tiene que haber alguna explicación
to offer or give an explanation → dar explicaciones
they gave no explanation for the delay → no dieron ninguna explicación por el retraso

Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

explanation

[ˌɛkspləˈneɪʃ^ən] n → explication f
explanation for sth → explication à qch
to find an explanation for sth → trouver une explication à qch
an explanation of sth → une explication de qch

Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005

explanation

→ Erklärung f; (of motives, situation, thoughts) → Erläuterung f, → Erklärung f; (of mystery) → Aufklärung f; it needs some/a little explanation → es bedarf einer Erklärung/einer kurzen Erklärung, man muss das etwas/ein wenig erklären; he gave a long explanation of what he meant → er erklärte lange, was er meinte; what is the explanation of this? → wie ist das zu erklären?

(= justification) → Erklärung f, → Rechtfertigung f; has he anything to say in explanation of his conduct? → kann er irgendetwas zur Erklärung seines Verhaltens vorbringen?

Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007

explanation

[ˌɛkspləˈneɪʃ/ən] n → spiegazione f
to find an explanation for sth → trovare una spiegazione per qc
what have you to say in explanation? → qual è la sua giustificazione?

Collins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995

explain

(ikˈsplein) verb

1. to make (something) clear or easy to understand. Can you explain the railway timetable to me?; Did she explain why she was late?

2. to give, or be, a reason for. I cannot explain his failure; That explains his silence.

explanation (ekspləˈneiʃən) noun

1. the act or process of explaining. Let me give a few words of explanation.

2. a statement or fact that explains. There are several possible explanations for the explosion.

exˈplanatory (-ˈsplӕnə-) adjective

giving an explanation. There are explanatory notes in this book.

explain away

to get rid of (difficulties etc) by clever explaining. She could not explain away the missing money.

explanation

→ شَرْح vysvětlení forklaring Erklärung εξήγηση explicación selitys explication objašenjenje spiegazione 説明 설명 uitleg forklaring objaśnienie explicação объяснение förklaring คำอธิบาย açıklama lời giải thích 解释

explanation

n. explicación, interpretación.

References in classic literature ?

"I have promised you an explanation of my conduct," she said, in accents that trembled a little in spite of herself.

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I say nothing about the more serious matters which engaged my attention on that day--the anonymous letter to Miss Fairlie, the measures I thought it right to adopt when the matter was mentioned to me, and the conviction I entertained that every possible explanation of the circumstances would be readily afforded by Sir Percival Glyde, having all been fully noticed, as I understand, in the narrative which precedes this.

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He called him into his room (I happened to be looking through a crack in the partition-wall), and had an explanation with him in the way that a gentleman should--noone except myself being a witness of the scene; whereas, in my own case, I had no explanation at all.

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"My dear fellow, he gave no explanation. I've seen the letter.

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My poor mother was evidently as far from being satisfied with her own shallow explanation as I was.

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And now to the explanation of my use, or misuse, of the phrase.

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writes word that she could not get the young lady to assign any cause for her extraordinary conduct, which confirms me in my own previous explanation of it, Frederica is too shy, I think, and too much in awe of me to tell tales, but if the mildness of her uncle should get anything out of her, I am not afraid.

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Hem, of Leipsic; not by way of explanation, unless the reader may choose to take it so, but because of its intrinsic interest as a singular speculation.

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Another fact of which he became convinced, after reading many scientific books, was that the men who shared his views had no other construction to put on them, and that they gave no explanation of the questions which he felt he could not live without answering, but simply ignored their existence and attempted to explain other questions of no possible interest to him, such as the evolution of organisms, the materialistic theory of consciousness, and so forth.

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Chateau-Renaud was at his post; apprised by Beauchamp of the circumstances, he required no explanation from Albert.

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My father had often, during my imprisonment, heard me make the same assertion; when I thus accused myself, he sometimes seemed to desire an explanation, and at others he appeared to consider it as the offspring of delirium, and that, during my illness, some idea of this kind had presented itself to my imagination, the remembrance of which I preserved in my convalescence.

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"What other explanation can I give?" Granet asked, his brain working fiercely.

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