An explanation of the meaning of a word is known as

Other forms: explanations

An explanation is a statement about how or why something is the way it is. If you’re failing math, you’d better come up with a good explanation to give to your parents.

Explanation is from the same Latin word as explain: explanare, which means make clear. Because explanation and explain are so closely related, people often try to shoehorn an extra i into the spelling of explanation. Don’t. You might think that explanation has the odd spelling, but it is really the more regular of the two because there is no i in explanare.

Definitions of explanation

  1. noun

    the act of explaining; making something plain or intelligible

    “I heard his
    explanation of the accident”

    see moresee less

    types:

    elucidation

    an act of explaining that serves to clear up and cast light on

    explication

    the act of making clear or removing obscurity from the meaning of a word or symbol or expression etc.

    type of:

    speech act

    the use of language to perform some act

  2. noun

    a statement that makes something comprehensible by describing the relevant structure or operation or circumstances etc.

    “the
    explanation was very simple”

    synonyms:

    account

    see moresee less

    types:

    show 34 types…
    hide 34 types…
    simplification

    an explanation that omits superfluous details and reduces complexity

    accounting

    a convincing explanation that reveals basic causes

    reason

    an explanation of the cause of some phenomenon

    justification

    a statement in explanation of some action or belief

    exposition

    an account that sets forth the meaning or intent of a writing or discourse

    explication

    a detailed explanation of the meaning of something

    gloss, rubric

    an explanation or definition of an obscure word in a text

    derivation, deriving, etymologizing

    (historical linguistics) an explanation of the historical origins of a word or phrase

    definition

    a concise explanation of the meaning of a word or phrase or symbol

    interpretation

    an explanation that results from interpreting something

    walk-through

    a thorough explanation (usually accompanied by a demonstration) of each step in a procedure or process

    oversimplification, simplism

    a simplification that goes too far (to the point of misrepresentation)

    cause, grounds, reason

    a justification for something existing or happening

    defence, defense, vindication

    the justification for some act or belief

    exposition, expounding

    a systematic interpretation or explanation (usually written) of a specific topic

    construal

    an interpretation of the meaning of something; the act of construing

    contextual definition

    a definition in which the term is used by embedding it in a larger expression containing its explanation

    dictionary definition

    a definition that reports the standard uses of a word or phrase or symbol

    explicit definition

    a definition that gives an exact equivalent of the term defined

    ostensive definition

    a definition that points out or exhibits instances of the term defined

    recursive definition

    (mathematics) a definition of a function from which values of the function can be calculated in a finite number of steps

    redefinition

    the act of giving a new definition

    stipulative definition

    a definition that is stipulated by someone and that is not a standard usage

    clarification, elucidation, illumination

    an interpretation that removes obstacles to understanding

    eisegesis

    personal interpretation of a text (especially of the Bible) using your own ideas

    exegesis

    an explanation or critical interpretation (especially of the Bible)

    ijtihad

    the endeavor of a Moslem scholar to derive a rule of divine law from the Koran and Hadith without relying on the views of other scholars; by the end of the 10th century theologians decided that debate on such matters would be closed and Muslim theology and law were frozen

    literal interpretation

    an interpretation based on the exact wording

    version

    an interpretation of a matter from a particular viewpoint

    reading

    a particular interpretation or performance

    construction, twist

    an interpretation of a text or action

    reconstruction

    an interpretation formed by piecing together bits of evidence

    popularisation, popularization

    an interpretation that easily understandable and acceptable

    misinterpretation, mistaking, misunderstanding

    putting the wrong interpretation on

    type of:

    statement

    a message that is stated or declared; a communication (oral or written) setting forth particulars or facts etc

  3. noun

    thought that makes something comprehensible

    see moresee less

    types:

    show 18 types…
    hide 18 types…
    interpretation, interpreting, rendering, rendition

    an explanation of something that is not immediately obvious

    principle, rationale

    (law) an explanation of the fundamental reasons (especially an explanation of the working of some device in terms of laws of nature)

    key

    something crucial for explaining

    rationalisation, rationalization

    the cognitive process of making something seem consistent with or based on reason

    theory

    a well-substantiated explanation of some aspect of the natural world; an organized system of accepted knowledge that applies in a variety of circumstances to explain a specific set of phenomena

    broad interpretation, judicial activism

    an interpretation of the U.S. constitution holding that the spirit of the times and the needs of the nation can legitimately influence judicial decisions (particularly decisions of the Supreme Court)

    reductionism

    a theory that all complex systems can be completely understood in terms of their components

    raison d’etre

    the reason why something exists

    blastogenesis

    theory that inherited characteristics are transmitted by germ plasm

    preformation, theory of preformation

    a theory (popular in the 18th century and now discredited) that an individual develops by simple enlargement of a tiny fully formed organism (a homunculus) that exists in the germ cell

    scientific theory

    a theory that explains scientific observations

    field theory

    (physics) a theory that explains a physical phenomenon in terms of a field and the manner in which it interacts with matter or with other fields

    economic theory

    (economics) a theory of commercial activities (such as the production and consumption of goods)

    atomic theory, atomism, atomist theory, atomistic theory

    (chemistry) any theory in which all matter is composed of tiny discrete finite indivisible indestructible particles

    holism, holistic theory

    the theory that the parts of any whole cannot exist and cannot be understood except in their relation to the whole

    dialectics

    a rationale for dialectical materialism based on change through the conflict of opposing forces

    structural sociology, structuralism

    a sociological theory based on the premise that society comes before individuals

    structural anthropology, structuralism

    an anthropological theory that there are unobservable social structures that generate observable social phenomena

    type of:

    cerebration, intellection, mentation, thinking, thought, thought process

    the process of using your mind to consider something carefully

DISCLAIMER: These example sentences appear in various news sources and books to reflect the usage of the word ‘explanation’.
Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Vocabulary.com or its editors.
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  1. The object of semasiology.
    Two approaches to the study of meaning.

  2. Types of meaning.

  3. Meaning and motivation.

3.1.
The branch of lexicology which studies meaning is called
«semasiology«.
Sometimes the term «semantics»
is used as a synonym to semasiology, but it is ambiguous as it can
stand as well for (1)
the expressive aspect of language in general and (2)
the meaning of one particular word.

Meaning
is certainly the most important property of the word but what is
«meaning»?

Meaning
is one of the most controversial terms in lexicology. At present
there is no generally accepted definition of meaning. Prof.
Smirnitsky defines meaning as «a certain reflection in the mind
of objects, phenomena or relations that makes part of the linguistic
sign, its so-called inner facet, whereas the sound form functions as
its outer facet». Generally speaking, meaning can be described
as a component of the word through which a concept is communicated,
enabling the word to denote objects in the real world.

There are
two
approaches

to the study of meaning: the
referential approach

and the
functional approach
.
The former tries to define meaning in terms of relations between the
word (sound form), concept (notion, thought) and referent (object
which the word denotes). They are closely connected and the
relationship between them is represented by «the semiotic
triangle» ( = the basic triangle) of Ogden and Richards (in the
book «The Meaning of Meaning» (1923) by O.K. Ogden and I.A.
Richards).

concept

symbol
referent

(sound form)

This view denies a direct link
between words and things, arguing that the relationship can be made
only through the use of our minds. Meaning is related to a sound
form, concept and referent but not identical with them: meaning is a
linguistic phenomenon while neither concept nor referent is.

The
main criticism of this approach is the difficulty of identifying
«concepts»: they are mental phenomena and purely
subjective, existing
in the minds of individuals. The strongest point of this approach is
that it connects meaning and the process of nomination.

The functional approach to
meaning is less concerned with what meaning is than with how it
works. It is argued, to say that «words have meanings»
means only that they are used in a certain way in a sentence. There
is no meaning beyond that. Ludwig Wittgenstein (1889-1951), in
particular, stressed the importance of this approach in his dictum:
«The meaning of the word is its use in the language». So
meaning is studied by making detailed analyses of the way words are
used in contexts, through their relations to other words in speech,
and not through their relations to concepts or referents.

Actually,
the functional approach is basically confined to the analysis of
sameness or difference of meaning. For example, we can say that in
«take
the bottle
»
and «take
to the

bottle»
take
has different meaning as it is used differently, but it does not
explain what the meaning of the verb is. So the functional approach
should
be used not as the theoretical basis for the study of meaning, but
only as complementary to the referential approach.

3.2.
Word meaning is made up of different components, commonly known
as types
of meaning
.
The two main types of meaning are grammatical
meaning
and
lexical meaning.

Grammatical
meaning

belongs to sets of word-forms and is common to
all words of the given part of speech,

e.g.
girls,
boys, classes, children, mice

express the meaning of
«plurality».

Lexical
meaning

belongs to an individual word in all its forms. It
comprises several components. The two main ones are the
denota
tional
component
and
the connotational component.

The
denotational
(
=
denotative
)
component
,
also called «referential
meaning» or «cognitive meaning», expresses the
conceptual (notional)
content of a word; broadly, it is some information, or knowledge,
of the real-world object that the word denotes.
Basically, this is the component that makes communication possible.

e.g.
notorious
«widely-known»,
celebrated
«known
widely».

The
connotational (connotative) component

expresses the attitude of
the speaker to what he is saying, to the object denoted by the word.
This component consists of emotive
connotation
and
evaluative
connotation.

1) Emotive
connotation

( = «affective meaning», or an emotive charge),

e.g.
In «a
single tree
»
single states that there is only one tree,
but
«a
lonely tree
»
besides giving the same information, also renders
(conveys) the feeling of sadness.

We
shouldn’t confuse emotive connotations and emotive denotative
meanings
in which some emotion is named, e.g. horror,
love, fear, etc
.

2) Evaluative
connotation

labels
the referent as «good» or «bad»,

e.g.
notorious
has a negative evaluative connotation, while
celebrated
a positive one. Cf.: a
notorious criminal/liar/
coward,
etc.

and a
celebrated singer/ scholar/ artist, etc.

It
should be noted that emotive and evaluative connotations are not
individual, they are common to all speakers of the language. But
emotive implications are individual (or common to a group of
speakers),
subjective, depend on personal experience.

e.g.
The word «hospital»
may evoke all kinds of emotions in
different
people (an
architect, a doctor, an invalid, etc.)

Stylistic
connotation
,
or stylistic reference, another component of word meaning, stands
somewhat apart from emotive and evaluative connotations. Indeed, it
does not characterize a referent, but rather states how a word should
be used by referring it to a certain functional style of the language
peculiar to a specific sphere of communication. It shows in what
social context, in what communicative situations the word can be
used.

Stylistically,
words can be roughly classified into literary,
or formal
(e.g.
commence, discharge, parent
),
neutral
(e.g.
father, begin, dismiss
)
and non-literary,
or informal
(e.g.
dad, sack, set off
).

3.3.
The term «motivation»
is used to denote the relationship between the
form of the word, i.e. its sound form, morphemic composition and
structural pattern, and its meaning.

There
are three
main types of motivation
:
phonetic,
morphological
and
semantic
.

1)
Phonetic
motivation

is a direct connection between the sound form
of a word and its meaning. There are two types of phonetic
motivation: sound
imitation
and
sound symbolism.

a) Sound
imitation,
or
onomatopoeia:
phonetically motivated words are
a direct imitation of the sounds they denote (or the sounds produced
by actions or objects they denote),

e.g.
buzz,
swish, bang, thud, cuckoo.

b) Sound
symbolism
.
It’s argued by some linguists that the sounds that make up a word may
reflect or symbolise the properties of the object which the word
refers
to, i.e. they may suggest size, shape, speed, colour, etc.

e.g.
back
vowels

suggest big size, heavy weight, dark colour, front
vowels

suggest lightness, smallness, etc.

Many
words beginning with sl-
are slippery in some way: slide,
slip, slither, sludge
,
etc.
or pejorative: slut,
slattern, sly, sloppy, slovenly
;
words that end in -ump
almost
all refer to some kind of roundish mass: plump,
chump,
rump, hump, stump
.

Certainly, not every word with
these phonetic characteristics will have the meaning suggested. This
is, perhaps, one of the reasons why sound symbolism is not
universally recognized in linguistics.

2) Morphological
motivation

is
a direct connection between the lexical meaning of the component
morphemes, the pattern of their arrangement and the meaning of the
word.

Morphologically motivated
words are those whose meaning is determined by the meaning of their
components,

e.g.
re-write
«write
again»,
ex-wife
«former
wife».

The degree
of morphological motivation may be different. Words may be
fully
motivated

(then they are transparent), partially
mo
tivated
and
non-motivated

(idiomatic, or opaque).

a)
If the meaning of the word is determined by the meaning of the
components
and the structural pattern, it is fully
motivated
:
e.g. hatless.

b)
If the connection between the morphemic composition of a word and
its meaning is arbitrary, the word is non-motivated,
e.g. buttercup
«yellow-flowered plant».

c)
In hammer
-er
shows that it is an instrument, but what is «hamming«?
«Ham»
has no lexical meaning in this word, thus the word is partially
motivated
.
Cf. also cranberry.

Motivation may be lost in the
course of time,

e.g.
in OE wīfman
was
motivated morphologically: wīf
+ man
«wife
of a man»; now it is opaque;
its motivation is said to be faded (woman).

3) Semantic
motivation

is based on co-existence of direct and figurative
meanings of the same word,

e.g.
butterfly

1) insect; 2) showy and
frivolous person.( = metaphorical extension of the direct meaning).

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