English · Word Candidate

explain

/ɪkˈspleɪn/

Proposed by a contributor, not yet supported by evidence.

Also seen as: explains · explaining · explained

Sense 1

Both English Tiếng Việt

Meaning · English

To make plain, manifest, or intelligible; to clear of obscurity; to illustrate the meaning of.

Nghĩa · Tiếng Việt

làm cho rõ ràng, dễ hiểu

Machine-translated — suggest a fix

Verb

Examples

The issue was explained to the governor in detail.

Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01)

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).

Sense 2

Both English Tiếng Việt

Meaning · English

To give the reason for, justification for, or cause of.

Nghĩa · Tiếng Việt

cung cấp lý do, giải thích

Machine-translated — suggest a fix

Verb

Examples

It is tempting to speculate about the incentives or compulsions that might explain why anyone would take to the skies in [the] basket [of a balloon]: perhaps out of a desire to escape the gravity of this world or to get a preview of the next; […].

Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01)

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).

Common questions

What does “explain” mean?

To make plain, manifest, or intelligible; to clear of obscurity; to illustrate the meaning of.

Is “explain” formal or informal?

No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.