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Showing results for explanation. Search instead for explantat.
Definitions

explanation

[ek-spluh-ney-shuhn] / ˌɛk spləˈneɪ ʃən /
NOUN
clarification; reason
Synonyms
STRONGEST
account answer cause comment commentary confession definition description evidence example excuse expression information interpretation justification meaning motive note report resolution sense statement story summary
STRONG
annotation breakdown brief demonstration details display elucidation explication exposition gloss history illustration mitigation narration recital rendition showing significance specification tale talking telling vindication writing
Antonyms
STRONGEST
ignorance question quiet silence
STRONG
concealment hiding vagueness
WEAK
complication

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The judge accepted each explanation as race neutral and moved on.

From Slate • Apr. 10, 2026

Kumar Nayan, whose X account @Nehr_who? has about 242,000 followers, told the BBC he received neither prior notice nor an explanation for the block.

From BBC • Apr. 9, 2026

Bank-deposit data offer a compelling explanation, showing that after-tax wages for lower- and middle-income households have lagged inflation, while higher-income households have continued to see real gains.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 8, 2026

Now, physicists at the University of Massachusetts Amherst think they may have found an explanation.

From Science Daily • Apr. 8, 2026

When he was done, he had an explanation for the unpleasant odor wafting from the subprime mortgage industry that Eisman had detected.

From "The Big Short" by Michael Lewis