explicitly.

in a directly stated, clear, and unambiguous way

Use it for

Words that belong together

• explicitly state
• explicitly acknowledge
• explicitly distinguish

On the page

The authors explicitly state the limits of the study.

The letter never explicitly names its recipient.

A careful comparison explicitly distinguishes similarities from differences.

Usage notes

Primary curation section: Academic. Explicitness concerns expression; it does not make a claim true or justify it. Opposes leaving something implicit. Not normally compared. Related adjective: explicit.