MEANING
To explain the meaning or structure of a text or idea in careful detail.
Use it for
close reading; philosophical concepts; detailed argument reconstructionMake an implicit relation in a text explicit.
Words that belong together
- explicate a passage
- explicate a concept
- explicate the reasoning
On the page
The chapter explicates the distinction between liberty and legal permission.
By tracing the pronouns, the critic explicates the poem's changing point of view.
The footnote explicates a step omitted from the original proof.
Nearby words
Related words
Word forms
- Base
- explicate / explicates
- Past tense
- explicated
- Past participle
- explicated
- Present participle
- explicating
Full tense & aspect guide
- Present
- explicate / explicates
- Present continuous
- am/is/are explicating
- Present perfect
- have/has explicated
- Present perfect continuous
- have/has been explicating
- Past
- explicated
- Past continuous
- was/were explicating
- Past perfect
- had explicated
- Past perfect continuous
- had been explicating
- Future
- will explicate / explicates
- Future continuous
- will be explicating
- Future perfect
- will have explicated
- Future perfect continuous
- will have been explicating
Choose the auxiliary that agrees with your subject. These are constructions of one word, not separate entries.
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Usage notes
Primary category: academic. Academic or formal; especially close interpretation rather than a brief summary. Prefer explain when detailed analysis is not intended. Verb inflections [base, third-person singular, past, past participle, -ing]: explicate, explicates, explicated, explicated, explicating. Derived family (not inflections): explication.
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