 3 definitions found
From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:
explanation
noun
1: a statement that makes something comprehensible by
describing the relevant structure or operation or
circumstances etc.; "the explanation was very simple";
"I expected a brief account" [syn: {account}]
2: thought that makes something comprehensible
3: the act of explaining; making something plain or
intelligible; "I heard his explanation of the accident"
From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.44 [gcide]:
Explanation \Ex'pla*na"tion\, noun [L. explanatio: cf. OF.
esplanation.]
1. The act of explaining, expounding, or interpreting; the
act of clearing from obscurity and making intelligible;
as, the explanation of a passage in Scripture, or of a
contract or treaty.
2. That which explains or makes clear; as, a satisfactory
explanation.
3. The meaning attributed to anything by one who explains it;
definition; interpretation; sense.
Different explanations [of the Trinity]. --Bp.
Burnet.
4. A mutual exposition of terms, meaning, or motives, with a
view to adjust a misunderstanding, and reconcile
differences; reconciliation; agreement; as, to come to an
explanation.
Syn: Definition; description; explication; exposition;
interpretation; detail. See {Definition}.
From Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0 [moby-thes]:
126 Moby Thesaurus words for "explanation":
abstraction, accomplishment, account, allegorization, analysis,
answer, ascertainment, body of theory, case, case in point, cause,
clarification, clearance, clearing, clearing up, commentary,
construction, cracking, criticism, decipherment, decoding,
definition, delineation, demonstration, demythologization,
denouement, description, destigmatization, destigmatizing,
determination, disclosure, disentanglement, doctrinairism,
doctrinality, doctrinarity, editing, elucidation, emblem,
emendation, end, end result, enlightenment, euhemerism, example,
exculpation, excuse, exegesis, exemplar, exemplification,
explication, exponent, expose, exposition, expounding, finding,
finding-out, grounds, illumination, illustration, instance,
interpretation, issue, justification, key, light, meaning,
mere theory, motive, object lesson, outcome, pretense, pretext,
purgation, purging, rational ground, rationale, rationalization,
reason, reason why, rehabilitation, reinstatement,
relevant instance, representative, resolution, resolving,
restoration, result, riddling, signification, simplification,
solution, solving, sorting out, speculation, stated cause, symbol,
tentative explanation, the big idea, the idea, the whatfor,
the wherefore, the why, theoretic, theoretical basis,
theoretical structure, theoretics, theoria, theoric, theorization,
theory, type, typical example, underlying reason, unified theory,
unlocking, unraveling, unriddling, unscrambling, unspinning,
untangling, untwisting, unweaving, upshot, vindication, working,
working-out
|
