When you’re trying to get your point across, it’s important to use the right words. This article will discuss the difference between “describe” and “explain”, with examples to help illustrate the point. By understanding the difference between these two words, you can be sure to use them correctly.
What Is The Difference Between “Describe” And “Explain”?
The main difference between “describe” and “explain” is that when you describe something, you are giving a general overview of it, while when you explain something, you are providing specific details. In other words, “explain” is more detailed than “describe”.
For example, “Describe the taste of a lemon” would be an instruction to list the properties or features of a lemon’s taste, whereas “Explain how sugar is used in baking” would be an instruction to provide information on how sugar interacts with other ingredients in baked goods.
Most of the time, “describe” and “explain” are interchangeable. “Describe” is often used more when talking about objects, while “explain” is often used more when talking about concepts or theories.
However, there isn’t a hard-and-fast rule, and you’ll sometimes see one word being used in place of the other. For example, you might see someone say, “Can you explain this to me?” or “Could you describe that for me?”
What Does “Describe” Mean?
The word “describe” is derived from the Latin word “describere,” which means “to write down.” When you describe something, you are providing a detailed account of it. This can be done through written or spoken words or through visual means such as art or photography.
In order to properly describe something, you must first have a clear understanding of it yourself. This requires taking the time to study the subject matter carefully. Once you have a good grasp of the concept, you can then begin to convey your ideas about it to others.
According to The Cambridge Dictionary, “describe” is a verb that means “to say or write what someone or something is like”.
See the following examples of how to use “describe” in a sentence.
- Please describe your experience working with our company.
- Can you describe the product in more detail?
- Could you describe the scene in more detail?
- Can you describe your feelings toward the subject matter?
- What words would you use to describe this painting?
- How would you describe your relationship with your father?
- Tell us about a time when you had to describe something complex to a child.
What Does “Explain” Mean?
To explain something is to provide an understanding of it. Usually, this means breaking the thing down into its component parts and describing how each part works. It can also involve providing examples or a story that helps illustrate the point.
Essentially, explaining something to someone is taking something complex and making it easier to understand for someone else.
The Cambridge Dictionary defines the word “Explain” as a verb that means “to make something clear or easy to understand by describing or giving information about it”.
Explore the following examples of how to use “explain” in a sentence.
- Can you explain what happened at the party last night?
- I don’t understand why she’s so upset — can you explain it to me?
- I don’t know how that works — could you explain it to me?
- She didn’t really seem to want to explain what had happened.
- Could somebody please explain this concept to me?
- It’s not exactly clear what’s going on — could someone please explain it further?
- Would you be able to explain that in simpler terms?
Is “Describe” Or “Explain” Used The Most?
According to the Google Ngram Viewer graph, the word “explain” is more used than “describe” in English.
The word “explain” is more used than “described” because it has a stronger connotation of making something understandable.
To explain something is to make it clear, while to describe something is to just give a factual account of it.
In other words, when you explain something, you are going beyond the facts and providing an interpretation or explanation of what happened. This makes the information more meaningful and easier to understand for most people.
“Describe” And “Explain” – Synonyms
Here are some other words that can be used instead of “describe” and “explain”:
- Outline
- Depict
- Detail
- Enumerate
- Illustrate
Martin holds a Master’s degree in Finance and International Business. He has six years of experience in professional communication with clients, executives, and colleagues. Furthermore, he has teaching experience from Aarhus University. Martin has been featured as an expert in communication and teaching on Forbes and Shopify. Read more about Martin here.
Other forms: explained; explains; explaining
To explain something is to define it, show how it works, or just tell what it is. Explaining helps people understand.
If you know football really well, then you could probably explain it to a non-fan. Explaining makes things clearer. A lot of teaching is explaining — telling how something works. Also, if you do something wrong, people will ask you to explain your actions. Explaining can help someone «get it» — whatever «it» is.
Definitions of explain
-
verb
make plain and comprehensible
“He
explained the laws of physics to his students”-
synonyms:
explicate
see moresee less-
types:
- show 18 types…
- hide 18 types…
-
interpret, rede
give an interpretation or explanation to
-
account for
give reasons for
-
naturalize
explain with reference to nature
-
clarify, clear up, elucidate
make clear and (more) comprehensible
-
comment
explain or interpret something
-
demystify
make less mysterious or remove the mystery from
-
clear, clear up, crystalise, crystalize, crystallise, crystallize, elucidate, enlighten, illuminate, shed light on, sort out, straighten out
make free from confusion or ambiguity; make clear
-
second-guess
evaluate or criticize with hindsight
-
moralise, moralize
interpret the moral meaning of
-
deconstruct
interpret (a text or an artwork) by the method of deconstructing
-
re-explain, reinterpret
interpret from a different viewpoint
-
commentate
serve as a commentator, as in sportscasting
-
misinterpret
interpret falsely
-
dilate, elaborate, enlarge, expand, expatiate, exposit, expound, flesh out, lucubrate
add details, as to an account or idea; clarify the meaning of and discourse in a learned way, usually in writing
-
disambiguate
state unambiguously or remove ambiguities from
-
annotate, comment, gloss
provide interlinear explanations for words or phrases
-
commentate
make a commentary on
-
DJ, disc-jockey, disk-jockey
comment on music to be played
-
type of:
-
inform
impart knowledge of some fact, state or affairs, or event to
-
“The committee
explained their plan for fund-raising to the Dean” -
verb
serve as a reason or cause or justification of
“Her recent divorce may
explain her reluctance to date again”-
synonyms:
excuse
DISCLAIMER: These example sentences appear in various news sources and books to reflect the usage of the word ‘explain’.
Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Vocabulary.com or its editors.
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объяснять, разъяснять, растолковать, толковать, оправдывать
глагол ↓
- объяснять
to explain the meaning of a word — объяснить значение слова
explain this problem to me — объясните мне эту задачу
explain to me what this means — объясните мне, что это значит
- оправдываться, давать объяснения
he was unable to explain his conduct — он не смог объяснить своего поведения
he explained that he had been delayed by the rain — он объяснил, что задержался из-за дождя
when he has done wrong he never explains — когда он поступает неправильно, он никогда не оправдывается
- толковать, разъяснять
to explain smb.’s viewpoint — изложить /разъяснить, развить/ чью-л. точку зрения
- объясняться
- объяснять своё поведение, свои мотивы и т. п.
Мои примеры
Словосочетания
attempts to explain the origin of evil in the world — попытки объяснить происхождение зла в этом мире
to explain satisfactorily — толково объяснять
to explain by giving an example — объяснять на примере
explain in detail — подробно объяснять
explain coup — давать объяснение по поводу государственного переворота
background of the deal was easy to explain — подоплёка этой сделки была легко объяснима
explain in complete detail — объяснить в деталях полностью; объяснить в деталях подробно
explain in terms of an example — объяснять на примере
c to explain away — оправдываться
explain a lesson — объяснять урок
explain a problem — разъяснять проблему
Примеры с переводом
Give me a chance to explain.
Дай мне шанс объяснить.
Wait! I can explain everything.
Подождите! Я могу всё объяснить.
He explained why he was late.
Он объяснил, почему опоздал.
Let me explain what I mean.
Позвольте мне объяснить, что я имею в виду.
Let me explain it this way.
Позвольте мне объяснить это так.
She explained the problem to me.
Она объяснила мне суть проблемы.
We miss any attempt to explain.
Мы упускаем шанс что-либо объяснить.
ещё 23 примера свернуть
Примеры, ожидающие перевода
…trying to explain a mix-up in my mail order to a clearly raddled clerk in customer service…
Для того чтобы добавить вариант перевода, кликните по иконке ☰, напротив примера.
Фразовые глаголы
Возможные однокоренные слова
explainable — объяснимый
explained — объяснять, разъяснять, растолковать, толковать, оправдывать
Формы слова
verb
I/you/we/they: explain
he/she/it: explains
ing ф. (present participle): explaining
2-я ф. (past tense): explained
3-я ф. (past participle): explained
Wiki User
∙ 10y ago
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another word for explain is justify.
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Table of Contents
- What is another word for Explains?
- What words mean explain?
- Is elaborate a synonym for explain?
- Can you explain synonyms?
- What is the synonym and antonym of elaborate?
- What’s another word for elaborating?
- Which is a synonym of crescendo?
- What does crescendo mean in Latin?
- What is the antonym of smothered?
- What is another word for repeal?
- What are 3 synonyms for superfluous?
- What are extra words called?
- What does superfluous mean in English?
- Can superfluous people?
- What’s better than being sufficient?
: being in or following the exact words : verbatim a word-for-word translation. word for word. adverb. Definition of word for word (Entry 2 of 2) : in the exact words : verbatim.
What is another word for Explains?
Some common synonyms of explain are elucidate, explicate, expound, and interpret. While all these words mean “to make something clear or understandable,” explain implies a making plain or intelligible what is not immediately obvious or entirely known.
What words mean explain?
explain
- describe, give an explanation of, make clear, make intelligible, make plain, spell out, put into words, express in words.
- elucidate, expound, explicate, delineate.
- clarify, unfold, throw light on, clear up, simplify.
- gloss, interpret, decipher, decode, translate.
- demonstrate, show, teach, illustrate.
Is elaborate a synonym for explain?
In this page you can discover 118 synonyms, antonyms, idiomatic expressions, and related words for explain, like: illustrate, elucidate, interpret, clarify, reveal, exegesis, explicate, illuminate, expound, elaborate and justify.
Can you explain synonyms?
Explain Synonyms – WordHippo Thesaurus….What is another word for explain?
clarify | describe |
---|---|
define | demonstrate |
detail | elucidate |
illustrate | disclose |
make clear | point out |
What is the synonym and antonym of elaborate?
Antonyms: careless, plain. Synonyms: elaborated, luxuriant, detailed. elaborate, lucubrate, expatiate, exposit, enlarge, flesh out, expand, expound, dilateverb.
What’s another word for elaborating?
In this page you can discover 22 synonyms, antonyms, idiomatic expressions, and related words for elaboration, like: discussion, intricacy, articulation, refinement, contextualisation, characterization, comment, amplification, elaborateness, involution and enlargement.
Which is a synonym of crescendo?
What is another word for crescendo?
peak | summit |
---|---|
apex | height |
apogee | climax |
crest | acme |
crown | culmination |
What does crescendo mean in Latin?
“a gradual increasing in force or loudness,” 1776 as a musical term, from Italian crescendo “increasing,” from Latin crescendo, ablative of gerund of crescere “to increase, grow” (from PIE root *ker- (2) “to grow”).
What is the antonym of smothered?
Antonyms: bare, uninhibited. Synonyms: suppressed, stifled, strangled. smothered(adj)
What is another word for repeal?
SYNONYMS FOR repeal 2 nullify, abolish, rescind, invalidate.
What are 3 synonyms for superfluous?
superfluous
- surplus, redundant, unneeded, not required, excess, extra, spare, to spare, remaining, unused, left over.
- useless, unproductive, undue, in excess, surplus to requirements.
- expendable, disposable, dispensable, unwanted, waste.
Pleonasm (/ˈpliːənæzəm/; from Ancient Greek πλεονασμός, pleonasmós, from πλέον, pleon ‘to be in excess’) is the use of more words or parts of words than are necessary or sufficient for clear expression (for instance, “black darkness”, “burning fire”).
What does superfluous mean in English?
1a : exceeding what is sufficient or necessary : extra. b : not needed : unnecessary. 2 obsolete : marked by wastefulness : extravagant.
Can superfluous people?
superfluous Add to list Share. When something is so unnecessary that it could easily be done away with, like a fifth wheel on a car or a fifth person on a double date, call it superfluous.
What’s better than being sufficient?
Some common synonyms of plentiful are abundant, ample, and copious. While all these words mean “more than sufficient without being excessive,” plentiful implies a great or rich supply.