explicate
2 antonyms and opposites of explicate, grouped by meaning.
Verb — Explain something in detail, drawing out its meaning and implications point by point.
Synonyms by Meaning
1. verb formal
Explain something in detail, drawing out its meaning and implications point by point.
“The essay explicates the poem's central image line by line.”
Opposites
2. verb formal
Analyse a text closely, setting out what each part does and how the whole works.
“Students are asked to explicate a sonnet of their choosing.”
Antonyms
How to Use Explicate
The word patterns that sound natural to a native speaker.
Formal and academic; in ordinary speech 'explain' or 'unpack' does the job.
Etymology
From Latin explicare 'to unfold, unroll', from ex- 'out' and plicare 'to fold'.
Full origin of explicate →Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between explicate and explain?
Explaining is making something understood by any means, including simplifying it. Explicating is unfolding what is already there — going through a text, argument or idea part by part to show its structure and hidden implications. Explication is the scholarly cousin of explanation.
Is explicate the same as explicit?
No, though both come from the same Latin root about unfolding. Explicit is an adjective meaning stated openly and precisely; explicate is a verb meaning to set out in detail. You explicate something in order to make it explicit.