explain

IPA/ɪkˈspleɪn/
KK[ɪksplˈen]IPA/ɪkˈspleɪn/

explain — verb

  • explainpresent simple I / you / we / they
  • explainshe / she / it
  • explainedpast simple
  • explaining-ing form

1. to tell someone about something in a way that helps them understand it clearly.

1.verbtransitive / intransitiveB1
Definition

to tell someone about something in a way that helps them understand it clearly.

Example

Wei Chen explained the new parking rules to the staff before the meeting.

explain + noun phrase + to + person

Amara explained that the pharmacy closes at eight on weekdays.

explain + that-clause

Common collocations
  • explain clearly
  • explain carefully
  • explain fully
  • explain + reason
  • explain + situation
Synonyms
  • clarify

    more formal; focuses on removing confusion rather than describing a whole topic

  • illustrate

    means to explain by giving examples or pictures; more specific

  • define

    narrower — gives the exact meaning of a single word or concept

Antonyms
  • confuse

    to make something harder to understand instead of clearer

  • obscure

    formal; to hide or make unclear

Grammar Patterns

explain + noun phrase + to + person

explain + that-clause

explain + wh-word + clause

explain (intransitive)

Usage Note

The person being told is introduced by 'to'. 'Explain me the problem' is incorrect — use 'explain the problem to me'. Frequently used with question words (how, why, what, where).

Common Mistakes

Can you explain me the grammar rule?
Can you explain the grammar rule to me?
explain takes an indirect object with 'to', not a double-object structure like 'give' or 'tell'.
He explained his mother the situation.
He explained the situation to his mother.
The person receiving the explanation must follow 'to'.

2. to give reasons for something you have said or done, especially when other peopl

2.verbtransitiveB2
Definition

to give reasons for something you have said or done, especially when other people think it was wrong.

Example

Kwame had to explain why he missed three days of work without calling.

explain + why + clause for justification

Yuki explained herself to the manager after the mistake in the accounts.

explain + reflexive pronoun

Common collocations
  • explain yourself
  • explain + behaviour
  • explain + actions
  • cannot explain
  • hard to explain
Synonyms
  • justify

    more formal; focuses on proving that the action was right

  • account for

    suggests explaining in detail, often in a report or official context

  • defend

    stronger; suggests arguing against an accusation

Antonyms
  • accuse

    to say someone has done wrong — opposite of defending your actions

Grammar Patterns

explain + reflexive pronoun

explain + why + clause

explain + noun phrase (of personal action)

Usage Note

Often used with a reflexive pronoun (explain yourself, explain themselves). This sense carries a defensive tone — you are justifying, not simply informing.

Common Mistakes

She explained the broken vase.' (unclear whether she described it or justified it)
She explained how the vase got broken.
For the justification sense, be specific about what action you are defending.
I need to explain you.
I need to explain myself to you.
The reflexive pronoun is essential for this sense.

3. to be the reason why something happens or why someone behaves in a particular wa

3.verbtransitiveB2
Definition

to be the reason why something happens or why someone behaves in a particular way.

Example

The heavy rain explains why the outdoor concert was cancelled.

subject is a situation, not a person

That explains the strange noise we heard in the basement last night.

Common collocations
  • explains + why
  • explains + noun phrase
  • be explained by
  • that explains + noun
Synonyms
  • account for

    more formal; often used in reports or science

  • justify

    stronger implication that the reason is sufficient and morally acceptable

Grammar Patterns

fact/event + explains + noun phrase

fact/event + explains + why + clause

noun phrase + is explained by + noun phrase (passive)

Usage Note

Subject is usually a fact, event, situation or condition — not a person. Rarely used in the imperative with this meaning. Distinguish from sense 1: in this sense, nothing is being communicated to anyone; a cause simply accounts for an effect.

Common Mistakes

The man explains why the window broke.' (unclear — sounds like he is giving an explanation)
The broken window explains why cold air came in.
For the causation sense, the subject should be the cause, not a person describing the cause.
Fatima explained the broken machine.' (ambiguous — could be sense 1 or sense 2)
A loose wire explains why the machine stopped.
Use non-human subjects for this sense.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: verb/1

Explain is the most general word — it covers any situation where you make something clear to someone. Clarify is more formal and focuses on removing confusion or ambiguity from something already partly understood: a teacher clarifies a confusing point in a lesson. Illustrate means to explain by giving a concrete example or picture: a coach illustrates a play by drawing on a whiteboard. Elaborate means to add more detail to an explanation that already exists: 'Could you elaborate on that point?' asks someone who understood the basics but wants more depth. Demonstrate is both show and explain — you do a task while describing it: a chemist demonstrates how to mix two solutions safely. For everyday use, explain covers most situations. Use clarify when something is confusing, illustrate when you give an example, elaborate when you add details, and demonstrate when you show physically.

explain ↗clarify ↗illustrate ↗elaborate ↗demonstrate ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • let me explain
  • hard to explain
  • go some way to explain
  • explain away

Prepositions

Etymology

LatinOld FrenchEnglish

The word 'explain' comes from Latin 'explanare', which means 'to make plain or smooth'. It is a combination of 'ex-' (meaning 'out' or 'thoroughly') and 'planus' (meaning 'flat, clear, plain'). The word entered English through Old French 'espleiner' in the 15th century, originally keeping the sense of 'smoothing out' something rough or confused, which later became 'making something clear to understand'.