explicate

C2+ Topic:Communication

US /ˈɛksplɪˌkeɪt/ UK /ˈɛksplɪkeɪt/ See IPA manual

verb

Meanings

1

verb
to analyze and develop in detail; to explain fully

The professor took an hour to explicate a single dense paragraph.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 verb · to analyze and develop in... explain elucidate clarify interpret expound unfold develop

Opposites

obscure confuse obfuscate

Word family

Derived forms explication explicatorexplicativeexplicatory

Related forms explicit explicable

Etymology

From Latin explicatus, past participle of explicare ('to unfold, unravel, explain'), from ex- ('out') + plicare ('to fold').

explicare Latin plicare Latin

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Communication Word Formation & Derivatives

# explicate

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C2+
**Part of speech:** verb
**IPA (US):** ˈɛksplɪˌkeɪt
**IPA (UK):** ˈɛksplɪkeɪt

## Meanings
1. to analyze and develop in detail; to explain fully

## Examples
- The professor took an hour to explicate a single dense paragraph.

## Synonyms
- explain
- elucidate
- clarify
- interpret
- expound
- unfold
- develop

## Antonyms
- obscure
- confuse
- obfuscate

## Derived Forms
- explication
- explicator
- explicative
- explicatory

## Related Forms
- explicit
- explicable

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: explicare
- Root: plicare

## Etymology
From Latin explicatus, past participle of explicare ('to unfold, unravel, explain'), from ex- ('out') + plicare ('to fold').

## AI Etymology
Explicate is from Latin explicatus, past participle of explicare ('to unfold, unravel, explain'), from ex- ('out') + plicare ('to fold'). Important recorded forms include explicare (Latin) and plicare (Latin). Morphologically, the word is a built form whose named elements carry part of the historical sense. The current sense covers to analyze and develop in detail; to explain fully. The wider family includes derived forms such as explication, explicator, explicative, and explicatory and related words such as explicit and explicable.

## Topics
- Communication
- Word Formation & Derivatives

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