1. The act of explaining, expounding, or interpreting; the act of clearing from obscurity and making intelligible; as, the explanation of a passage in Scripture, or of a contract or treaty.
2. That which explains or makes clear; as, a satisfactory explanation.
3. The meaning attributed to anything by one who explains it; definition; inerpretation; sense. Different explanations [of the Trinity]. Bp. Burnet.
4. A mutual exposition of terms, meaning, or motives, with a view to adjust a misunderstanding, and reconcile differences; reconciliation; agreement; as, to come to an explanation.
Syn. — Definition; description; explication; exposition; interpretation; detail. See Definition.
EXPLANATIVE
Ex*plan"a*tive, a.
Defn: Explanatory.
EXPLANATORINESS
Ex*plan"a*to*ri*ness, n.
Defn: The quality of being explanatory.
EXPLANATORY
Ex*plan"a*to*ry, a. Etym: [L. explanatorius.]