English Reference

Word

explanatory

Phoneticsex·plana·to·ry

US/ɪksˈpɫænəˌtɔɹi/

UK/ɛksplˈænətəɹˌi/

Definitions

01serving to explain

B2

adj. intended to explain something so that it is easy to understand.

adj. serving to provide an explanation or to make something clear and understandable.

“The book includes several explanatory notes at the end of each chapter.”

“The museum provided explanatory placards alongside the artifacts to help visitors understand the historical context of the exhibition.”

Antonyms

02inclined to explain

C1

adj. describing a person who likes to give reasons or details for their actions.

adj. disposed or inclined to offer explanations for one's behavior or beliefs.

“He was in an explanatory mood and talked for an hour about his decision.”

“The CEO adopted an explanatory tone during the press conference, attempting to justify the sudden shift in corporate strategy to the shareholders.”

Formal

Antonyms

evasiveuncommunicative

Etymology

From Late Latin explānātōrius, from Latin explānāt-, past-participle stem of explānāre (“to explain”). Displaced Old English ġereclīċ.

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

Word family

explainVerbexplanationNounexplanatoryAdjective

This entry

Level
B2 · Upper Intermediate
Frequency
Frequent
Updated

Scan code

englishreference.com/q/explanatory

English Reference