Explain

How to spell explain

7 letters · 2 syllables

How to pronounce explain

Say the part in capitals loudest.

What does explain mean?

1. verbTo make an idea or situation clear by describing it in detail or giving reasons.

Explain in a sentence

• The manager paused to explain the new safety procedure to the team.

• The tutor took time to explain how compound interest builds over the years.

Where does explain come from?

Language of origin: Latin

This word comes from the Latin explanare, which meant 'to make level' or 'to smooth out', built from the prefix ex- meaning 'out' and planus meaning 'flat' or 'level'. The underlying image is of flattening something rough so it can be clearly seen, which is why the figurative sense of making an idea clear grew so naturally. English took the word in during the late 1400s, at first in spellings closer to the Latin, before it settled into its modern form. The same planus root lies behind the everyday words 'plain', 'plane', and 'plan', all of which share that idea of flatness or clarity. A useful spelling cue is that 'explain' literally contains 'plain', since to explain is to make a thing plain to someone.

How the word is built

• ex- (out)
• plain (from planus: flat, level); literally 'to make flat or smooth out'