Associations to the word «Explain»

Wiktionary

EXPLAIN, verb. To make plain, manifest, or intelligible; to clear of obscurity; to illustrate the meaning of.
EXPLAIN, verb. To give a valid excuse for some past behavior.
EXPLAIN, verb. (obsolete) To make flat, smooth out.
EXPLAIN, verb. (obsolete) To unfold or make visible.
EXPLAIN AWAY, verb. To dismiss or minimize by explanation, especially with regard to problems.

Dictionary definition

EXPLAIN, verb. Make plain and comprehensible; "He explained the laws of physics to his students".
EXPLAIN, verb. Define; "The committee explained their plan for fund-raising to the Dean".
EXPLAIN, verb. Serve as a reason or cause or justification of; "Your need to sleep late does not excuse your late arrival at work"; "Her recent divorce may explain her reluctance to date again".

Wise words

A word is not a crystal, transparent and unchanged; it is the skin of a living thought and may vary greatly in color and content according to the circumstances and time in which it is used.
Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr.