English [ edit ]
Alternative forms [ edit ]
Etymology [ edit ]
From Latin explanatio ( “ an explanation, interpretation ” ) , from explanare ( “ explain ” ) ; see explain . Morphologically explain + -ation . Displaced native Old English racu .
Pronunciation [ edit ]
explanation (countable and uncountable , plural explanations )
The act or process of explaining .
The explanation was long and drawn-out.
Something that explains, makes understandable .
An explanation for the UFO sightings was easily found.
A resolution of disputed points pursuant to discussion; a mutual clarification of disputed points; reconciliation .
1815 , Jane Austen , Emma , volume III, chapter 3:This little explanation with Mr. Knightley gave Emma considerable pleasure.
Synonyms [ edit ]
Related terms [ edit ]
Translations [ edit ]
the act or process of explaining
Albanian: shpjegim (sq) m
Arabic: تَفْسِير m ( tafsīr ) , شَرْح m ( šarḥ )
Armenian: բացատրություն (hy) ( bacʿatrutʿyun )
Assamese: ব্যাখ্যা ( byakhya )
Asturian: esplicación f
Azerbaijani: izah etmə
Basque: azalpen
Belarusian: аб'ясьне́нне n ( abʺjasʹnjénnje )
Bulgarian: обясне́ние (bg) n ( objasnénie )
Catalan: explicació (ca) f
Cherokee: ꮧꭺꮟꮜꮕ ( digosisanv )
Chinese:
Cantonese: 解釋 / 解释 ( gaai2 sik1 ) , 說明 / 说明 ( syut3 ming4 )
Mandarin: 解釋 / 解释 (zh) ( jiěshì ) , 說明 / 说明 (zh) ( shuōmíng )
Czech: vysvětlení (cs) n , objasnění n
Danish: forklaring c
Dutch: verklaring (nl) f , toelichting (nl) f , uitleg (nl) m
Esperanto: please add this translation if you can
Estonian: please add this translation if you can
Finnish: selittäminen (fi)
French: explication (fr) f
Galician: explicación (gl) f
Georgian: please add this translation if you can
German: Erläuterung (de) f , Erklärung (de) f , Ausführung (de) f
Gothic: 𐍃𐌺𐌴𐌹𐍂𐌴𐌹𐌽𐍃 f ( skeireins )
Greek: εξήγηση (el) f ( exígisi )
Ancient: ἐξήγησις f ( exḗgēsis )
Hebrew: הֶסבֵּר (he) ( hesbér )
Hungarian: magyarázat (hu) , indoklás (hu) , kifejtés (hu) , értelmezés (hu)
Icelandic: útskýring f
Indonesian: penjelasan (id)
Irish: míniú m , mínithe m pl
Italian: spiegazione (it) f , esplicazione (it) f , chiarificazione (it) f , esegesi (it) f
Japanese: 説明 (ja) ( せつめい, setsumei )
Khmer: ការពន្យល់ ( kaa pŭənyŭəl )
Korean: 설명(說明) (ko) ( seolmyeong )
Latin: explanatio f , lux (la) f
Latvian: skaidrojums m
Lithuanian: please add this translation if you can
Macedonian: објаснување n ( objasnuvanje )
Mongolian:
Cyrillic: тайлбар (mn) ( tajlbar )
Norwegian:
Bokmål: forklaring (no) m or f
Occitan: explicacion (oc) f
Old English: racu f
Persian: تُوضیح (fa) ( towzih ) , شَرح (fa) ( šarh )
Polish: objaśnienie (pl) n , wyjaśnienie (pl) n
Portuguese: explicação (pt) f , explanação (pt) f
Romanian: explicare (ro) f
Russian: объясне́ние (ru) n ( obʺjasnénije )
Scottish Gaelic: soilleireachadh m , mìneachadh m
Serbo-Croatian:
Cyrillic: објашње́ње n
Roman: objašnjénje (sh) n
Slovak: vysvetlenie n , objasnenie n
Slovene: razlaga f
Spanish: explicación (es) f
Swedish: förklaring (sv)
Tagalog: paliwanag
Tajik: шарҳ (tg) ( šarh ) , тавзеҳ ( tavzeh )
Telugu: వివరణ (te) ( vivaraṇa )
Thai: การอธิบาย (th) ( gaan-à-tí-baai )
Turkish: açıklama (tr)
Ukrainian: поя́снення n ( pojásnennja )
Welsh: eglurhad
West Frisian: útlis c
Translations to be checked
Further reading [ edit ]
“explanation ”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary , Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam , 1913, →OCLC .
“explanation ”, in The Century Dictionary [ … ] , New York, N.Y.: The Century Co. , 1911, →OCLC .