explanation
Account making clear
An explanation is a statement or account that makes something clear or understandable.
You might offer an explanation for being late, or seek an explanation of how something works.
The word covers both justifications (What's your explanation for this mess?) and clarifications (The teacher's explanation helped).
To explain is to provide one.
Act of explaining clearly
- simplificationMaking something less complex
- explicationDetailed interpretive analysis
- illuminationProvision of light
- demystificationExplaining the obscure
disambiguation · decoding · unraveling · breakdown · detailing · specification · gloss · annotation
Account of characteristics
- narrationVerbal account delivery
- reportFormal written findings
- narrativeAccount of events
- recountingNarrating events from memory
telling · depiction · exposition · overview · summary · outline · rundown · briefing
Stated basis for action
- defenseProtection against harm
- excuseOffered reason for wrongdoing
- vindicationClearance of blame
- groundsBasis for justification
warrant · basis · reason · argument · apology · plea · alibi · pretext
Critical textual interpretation
- hermeneuticsStudy of interpretation methods
- readingInterpreting written text
- analysisMethodical study of parts
- deconstructionAnalysis exposing self-contradiction
construal · unpacking · contextualization · gloss · commentary · understanding · sense-making · parsing
Explanatory set of principles
- hypothesisTestable proposed explanation
- modelRepresentation or paradigm
- mechanismMeans by which something operates
- causationProduction of effects
causal · account · framework · paradigm · principle · law · phenomenon · variable
Instructional step-by-step guide
- lessonUnit of teaching
- lectureEducational spoken presentation
- demonstrationPublic display of opinion
- walkthroughSequential instructional guide
how-to · guide · teaching · instructional · educational · didactic · pedagogical · expository
elucidation
Act of explaining clearly
- simplificationMaking something less complex
- explicationDetailed interpretive analysis
- illuminationProvision of light
demystification · disambiguation · decoding · unraveling · breakdown · detailing · specification · gloss · annotation · footnote
description
Account of characteristics
recounting · telling · depiction · exposition · overview · summary · outline · rundown · briefing · walkthrough
rationale
Stated basis for action
- defenseProtection against harm
- excuseOffered reason for wrongdoing
- vindicationClearance of blame
grounds · warrant · basis · reason · argument · apology · plea · alibi · pretext · mitigation
exegesis
Critical textual interpretation
- hermeneuticsStudy of interpretation methods
- readingInterpreting written text
- analysisMethodical study of parts
deconstruction · construal · unpacking · contextualization · gloss · commentary · understanding · sense-making · parsing · deciphering
theory
Explanatory set of principles
- hypothesisTestable proposed explanation
- modelRepresentation or paradigm
- mechanismMeans by which something operates
causation · causal · account · framework · paradigm · principle · law · phenomenon · variable · prediction
tutorial
Instructional step-by-step guide
- lessonUnit of teaching
- lectureEducational spoken presentation
- demonstrationPublic display of opinion
walkthrough · how-to · guide · teaching · instructional · educational · didactic · pedagogical · expository · step-by-step
- clarifying languagenamely, specifically, in other words, that is, for example
- clarityclearness, clear, obvious, simplification, concise
- elaborationclarification, expansion, detail, amplification, explication
- excusesexcuse, not my fault, overslept, alibi, excuses
- explanationswhy, how come, explication, what happened, definition
- interpretationinterpretive dance, translation, interpreting, translating, construing
explanationobscuration
Act of concealing
mystification · obfuscation · confusion · befuddlement · muddling
explanationmystery
Something unexplained or unknown
enigma · puzzle · riddle · conundrum · unsolved mystery
explanationcomplication
Factor that adds difficulty
complexification · entanglement · confusion · misinterpretation · misunderstanding
- natural explanation
- best explanation
- scientific explanationReasoned account of phenomena