explanation

explanation — noun

1. something that someone says or writes in order to help other people understand w

1.名詞A2
釋義

something that someone says or writes in order to help other people understand why something happened or how something works

例句

Tyler gave a clear explanation of how the voting system works.

collocation: give + an explanation + of [topic]

The teacher asked for an explanation of why the homework was late.

同義詞
  • account

    focuses on describing a sequence of events; often used in news or witness statements

  • clarification

    focuses on making something previously unclear become understandable; more formal

  • reason

    emphasises the cause or justification rather than the descriptive content

反義詞
  • mystery

    something that remains unknown or unexplained

  • confusion

    a state where understanding is absent

文法句型

explanation + for + noun phrase — reason for an event

explanation + of + noun phrase — description of how something works

give/provide/offer + an explanation

用法筆記

Commonly followed by 'for' when giving a reason for an event, and by 'of' when describing how something works. 'Explanation' is a countable noun in this sense — you can say 'an explanation' or 'explanations'.

常見錯誤

❌Can you give me explain?
✅Can you give me an explanation?
💡'explain' is a verb; 'explanation' is the noun form.
❌The explanation about the problem was unclear.
✅The explanation for the problem was unclear.
💡Use 'for' (not 'about') after 'explanation' when stating the reason.
❌She made an explanation of the rules.
✅She gave an explanation of the rules.
💡The natural collocation is 'give/provide/offer an explanation', not 'make an explanation'.

2. the activity or process of making something clear or easy to understand by descr

2.名詞B2
釋義

the activity or process of making something clear or easy to understand by describing it in detail

例句

The explanation of the experiment took longer than the experiment itself.

pattern: the explanation + of + [topic] as a process

Naoko's explanation of the theory was so clear that even beginners could follow it.

同義詞
  • exposition

    a thorough, formal explanation, often in writing or public speaking

  • elucidation

    a formal term for the act of making something clear, especially in academic contexts

反義詞
  • obscurity

    the state of being unclear or hard to understand

文法句型

the explanation + of + noun

adjective + explanation

用法筆記

This sense refers to the act or process itself rather than the content. It is often uncountable and paired with 'the'. Distinguish from sense 1: if you can count it ('three explanations'), it is sense 1; if you are talking about the time or effort spent explaining, it is sense 2.

常見錯誤

❌I need two explanations of the rules' (when referring to the act of explaining twice).
✅I need two separate explanations of the rules' OR better 'I need to explain the rules twice.
💡Sense 2 is uncountable; use a different construction to express repeated acts.