| explanation | | |
| n. (communication) | 1. account, explanation | a statement that makes something comprehensible by describing the relevant structure or operation or circumstances etc..; "the explanation was very simple"; "I expected a brief account" |
| ~ statement | a message that is stated or declared; a communication (oral or written) setting forth particulars or facts etc.; "according to his statement he was in London on that day" |
| ~ explanandum, explicandum | (logic) a statement of something (a fact or thing or expression) to be explained. |
| ~ explanans | (logic) statements that explain the explicandum; the explanatory premises. |
| ~ simplification | an explanation that omits superfluous details and reduces complexity. |
| ~ accounting | a convincing explanation that reveals basic causes.; "he was unable to give a clear accounting for his actions" |
| ~ reason | an explanation of the cause of some phenomenon.; "the reason a steady state was never reached was that the back pressure built up too slowly" |
| ~ justification | a statement in explanation of some action or belief. |
| ~ exposition | an account that sets forth the meaning or intent of a writing or discourse.; "we would have understood the play better if there had been some initial exposition of the background" |
| ~ explication | a detailed explanation of the meaning of something. |
| ~ gloss, rubric | an explanation or definition of an obscure word in a text. |
| ~ deriving, etymologizing, derivation | (historical linguistics) an explanation of the historical origins of a word or phrase. |
| ~ definition | a concise explanation of the meaning of a word or phrase or symbol. |
| ~ interpretation | an explanation that results from interpreting something.; "the report included his interpretation of the forensic evidence" |
| ~ walk-through | a thorough explanation (usually accompanied by a demonstration) of each step in a procedure or process.; "she gave me a walk-through of my new duties" |
| n. (cognition) | 2. explanation | thought that makes something comprehensible. |
| ~ interpreting, rendering, rendition, interpretation | an explanation of something that is not immediately obvious.; "the edict was subject to many interpretations"; "he annoyed us with his interpreting of parables"; "often imitations are extended to provide a more accurate rendition of the child's intended meaning" |
| ~ cerebration, intellection, mentation, thinking, thought process, thought | the process of using your mind to consider something carefully.; "thinking always made him frown"; "she paused for thought" |
| ~ rationale, principle | (law) an explanation of the fundamental reasons (especially an explanation of the working of some device in terms of laws of nature).; "the rationale for capital punishment"; "the principles of internal-combustion engines" |
| ~ cornerstone, fundament, groundwork, basis, foundation, base | the fundamental assumptions from which something is begun or developed or calculated or explained.; "the whole argument rested on a basis of conjecture" |
| ~ key | something crucial for explaining.; "the key to development is economic integration" |
| ~ rationalization, rationalisation | the cognitive process of making something seem consistent with or based on reason. |
| ~ theory | a well-substantiated explanation of some aspect of the natural world; an organized system of accepted knowledge that applies in a variety of circumstances to explain a specific set of phenomena.; "theories can incorporate facts and laws and tested hypotheses"; "true in fact and theory" |
| n. (communication) | 3. explanation | the act of explaining; making something plain or intelligible.; "I heard his explanation of the accident" |
| ~ speech act | the use of language to perform some act. |
| ~ elucidation | an act of explaining that serves to clear up and cast light on. |
| ~ explication | the act of making clear or removing obscurity from the meaning of a word or symbol or expression etc.. |
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