What does "explain" mean?

1. (to make clear) to tell someone about something in a way that is easy to understand. 2. (to give a reason) to give a reason for why something happened or why you did something.

How do you use "explain"?

Often used with a 'that' clause or a 'wh-' clause (how, why, what). Frequently followed by a prepositional phrase starting with 'why' or 'for'.

explain — meaning, definition & examples

Q: Is it correct to say "Can you explain me the rules?"?

No — say "Can you explain the rules to me?". The verb 'explain' does not take an indirect object (the person) immediately after it. You must explain 'something' (the direct object) 'to someone'.

Word

01to make clear

A1 · Beginner

v. to tell someone about something in a way that is easy to understand.

v. to make a concept, process, or situation intelligible by providing descriptive details or illustrations.

“The teacher used a diagram to explain how the water cycle works.”

“The manual fails to explain the initial setup process clearly, leaving many users frustrated during the first hour of operation.”

Usage

Often used with a 'that' clause or a 'wh-' clause (how, why, what).

Pitfall

Can you explain me the rules?

Can you explain the rules to me?

The verb 'explain' does not take an indirect object (the person) immediately after it. You must explain 'something' (the direct object) 'to someone'.

Synonyms

clarify describe illustrate

Antonyms

confuse obscure

02to give a reason

B1 · Intermediate

v. to give a reason for why something happened or why you did something.

v. to provide a justification, cause, or rationale for an action, event, or state of affairs.

“He tried to explain why he was late, but his boss was still angry.”

“The CEO was called before the board to explain the sudden discrepancy in the quarterly financial reports.”

Usage

Frequently followed by a prepositional phrase starting with 'why' or 'for'.

Synonyms

justify account for rationalise

Common phrases and expressions where native English speakers use the word “explain” in context.

01. adequately explain 02. explain concept 03. explain difference 04. explain difficulty 05. explain effect 06. explain failure 07. explain finding 08. explain growth 09. explain occurrence 10. explain phenomenon 11. explain relationship 12. explain variation

explain vs tell

Explain focuses on the details or reasons behind a topic, while tell focuses on the transfer of information to a specific person.

RememberExplain the 'why'; tell the person.

“Two out of three Americans think President Donald Trump has not clearly explained why the country went to war with Iran, according to a Reuters/Ipsos poll completed on Monday that also showed his approval rating ticking up from the lowest level of his term.”

Reuters 11 May 2026

“The Bank of England will make changes to explain in more detail its decisions on interest rates and other monetary policy issues from next month, BoE Chief Economist Huw Pill said on Friday.”

Reuters 17 Oct 2025

From Middle English explanen, from Old French explaner, from Latin explanō (“to flatten, spread out, make plain or clear, explain”), from ex- (“out”) + planō (“to flatten, make level”), from planus (“level, plain”); see plain and plane. Compare esplanade, splanade. Displaced Old English reċċan.

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

clarify describe illustrate interpret justify

confuse obscure complicatemystify

VERB

explain(A1)

NOUN

ADJECTIVE