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Definition of Explain
1. Verb. Make plain and comprehensible. "Sam and Sue explain the movie "; "He explained the laws of physics to his students"
Generic synonyms: Inform
Specialized synonyms: Interpret, Rede, Account For, Naturalize, Clarify, Clear Up, Elucidate, Comment
Derivative terms: Explanation, Explanatory, Explication, Explication
2. Verb. Define. "They explain that there was a traffic accident "; "The committee explained their plan for fund-raising to the Dean"
3. Verb. Serve as a reason or cause or justification of. "Her recent divorce may explain her reluctance to date again"
Specialized synonyms: Alibi
Generic synonyms: Justify, Vindicate
Derivative terms: Excuse, Explanation
Definition of Explain
1. v. t. To flatten; to spread out; to unfold; to expand.
2. v. i. To give an explanation.
Definition of Explain
1. to make plain or understandable [v -ED, -ING, -S]
Medical Definition of Explain
1. 1. To flatten; to spread out; to unfold; to expand. "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) To explain away, to get rid of by explanation. "Those explain the meaning quite "away." Synonym: To expound, interpret, elucidate, clear up. Origin: L. Explandare to flatten, spread out, explain; ex out+plandare to make level or plain, planus plain: cf. OF. Esplaner, explaner. See Plain, and cf. Esplanade. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998)