Reading Theme:
Explain: Definition, Examples, and How to Use It (2 meaning)
Meaning 1：make clear (explain)
explain
/ɪkˈspleɪn/
v.
To make something clear or easy to understand by describing it.
make clear
➕
/meɪk klɪər/
v.
To describe something in a way that removes confusion and makes it understandable.
📘 Details & Usage
📖 Root Explanation
Prefix 'ex-' (out) + Latin 'planus' (flat, clear). Literally 'make level', then 'clarify'.
💡 Mnemonic
Ex (out) + plain (clear as plain text). Think: lay out plainly to remove fog.
📖 Example
My friend explained the rules of the game so everyone could play together.
My friend explained the rules of the game so everyone could play together.
🔗 Collocations
explain clearly – Provide an explanation that is easy to follow.
explain to someone – Direct an explanation toward a specific person.
explain the reason – Give a justification for something.
🔄 Synonyms
🚫 Antonyms
confuse (v.) – To make something unclear or difficult to understand.
obscure (v.) – To hide the meaning or make it vague.
complicate (v.) – To make something more complex and harder to understand.
🌱 Derivatives
explanation (n.) – A statement that makes something clear.
explanatory (adj.) – Serving to explain or clarify.
explicable (adj.) – Capable of being explained or understood.
📖 Cultural Story
From Latin 'explanare' (to flatten, make smooth). In ancient Rome, it described leveling ground; by Middle English, it meant making ideas clear.
Meaning 2：justify (explain)
explain
/ɪkˈspleɪn/
v.
To give reasons for something or make it understandable by providing causes.
justify
➕
/ˈdʒʌstɪfaɪ/
v.
To give reasons that make an action, decision, or belief seem reasonable or understandable.
📘 Details & Usage
📖 Example
She had to explain why she chose to study environmental science in college.
She had to explain why she chose to study environmental science in college.
🔗 Collocations
explain why – Provide the cause or reason for something.
explain one's decision – Give a rationale for a choice that was made.
explain the reason behind – Clarify the motivation or cause underlying an action.
🔄 Synonyms
justify (v.) – To show that something is reasonable or necessary.
account for (v.) – To provide an explanation or reason for something.
rationalize (v.) – To attempt to explain or justify something logically.
🚫 Antonyms
hide (v.) – To conceal the true reason or explanation.
obscure (v.) – To make the reasons unclear or hard to see.
misrepresent (v.) – To give a false or misleading explanation.
🌱 Derivatives
explanation (n.) – A statement that gives reasons for something.
explanatory (adj.) – Providing reasons or clarifications.
explicable (adj.) – Able to be explained or accounted for.
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