explicit
- 01 B2 Upper Intermediate
stated clearly and in detail, leaving no room for confusion or doubt.
fully and clearly expressed or demonstrated; leaving nothing merely implied.
Simple“The teacher gave explicit instructions on how to write the essay.”
In context“The contract contains explicit terms regarding the termination of services, ensuring that both parties understand their legal obligations from the outset.”
UsageOften used with nouns like 'instructions', 'orders', 'details', or 'permission'.
- 02 C1 Advanced
showing or describing something, like violence or sex, in a very open and direct way.
describing or showing graphic imagery or language, often in a way that may be considered offensive or inappropriate for children.
Simple“The movie was rated R because it contained explicit violence.”
In context“Broadcasters are required to provide warnings before airing programs that contain explicit language or scenes of a disturbing nature.”
Teacher's tipIn modern media, this is the standard term used for 'Parental Advisory' labels on music and films.
Synonyms
explicit vs implicit — Explicit = directly stated; implicit = suggested but not directly stated.
“One early success was The Men’s Room, the raunchy 1991 BBC series in which his explicit scenes as a libidinous academic earned the censure of the Broadcasting Standards Council.”
“This was so even when explicit details about the graduate's financial circumstances had been provided in the prompt.”
Borrowed from French explicite, from Latin explicitus (“disentangled, easy”), variant of explicātus.
Abbreviated from Latin explicitus est liber (“the book is set in order, ended”).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.