explicate

11 synonyms and 2 antonyms for explicate, grouped by meaning and by how common each one is.

Verb — Explain something in detail, drawing out its meaning and implications point by point.

Synonyms

Everyday swaps

Common words most readers know — safe in any writing.

develop explain

Less common

Still standard English, but they carry more weight.

interpret formulate analyse

Rare, literary or technical

Precise, but they will stand out — check the sense before using one.

expound elucidate unpack spell out parse close-read

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.”

expound elucidate unpack interpret spell out formulate develop explain

Opposites

obscure confuse

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.”

analyse parse close-read

How to use explicate

The word patterns that sound natural to a native speaker.

explicate a text explicate the meaning explicate the theory

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.

People also searched

explain develop interpret obscure confuse analyse formulate elucidate parse unpack expound

Nearby words

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