explanationex‧pla‧na‧tion /ˌekspləˈneɪʃən/ ●●● S3 W2 noun 
Can you think of any explanation for this failure?without explanation The concert was cancelled without explanation.► see thesaurus at reason2[countable] a statement or piece of writing intended to describe how something works or make something easier to understandprovide/give an explanation The ability to give clear explanations is the most important quality of the ideal teacher.explanation of I’ll try and give you a quick explanation of how the machine works.COLLOCATIONSverbshave an explanation· Does the hospital have any explanation for why he died?give an explanation· The police gave no explanation for their actions.provide/offer an explanation· This theory may provide an explanation for the origins of the universe.ask for/demand an explanation· When I asked for an explanation, the people at the office said they didn't know.· Furious parents are demanding an explanation from the school.wait for an explanation (=expect an explanation)· She continued to stare at him in silence, waiting for an explanation.find/think of/come up with an explanation· Scientists have been unable to find an explanation for this phenomenon.owe (somebody) an explanation· I think you owe me some kind of explanation.accept an explanation (=believe that it is true or correct)· The court accepted her explanation.need/require an explanation· We think the minister’s decision requires an explanation.adjectivesa possible explanation· Can anyone think of a possible explanation for why this is happening?the most likely/probable explanation (=one that is probably true)· The most likely explanation is that John missed the bus.· The most probable explanation is that the water was contaminated.an obvious explanation (=one that is easy to see or notice)· There is no obvious explanation for his strange behaviour.a reasonable/plausible explanation (=one that is easy to believe)· Pilot error is the most plausible explanation for the crash.a satisfactory/adequate explanation (=one that explains something completely)· A bank must offer an adequate explanation of all its charges.a convincing/credible explanation (=one that you can believe is true)· The author fails to provide a convincing explanation for the main character’s motives.a logical/rational explanation (=one that is based on facts)· Physics finally gave us a rational explanation for the atom’s strange behaviour.further explanation (=additional reasons)· He gave no further explanation for leaving, and she did not ask for any.phrasesthere is no apparent explanation (=used when there is no explanation that you can think of)· There was no apparent explanation for the attack.
EXAMPLES FROM OTHER DICTIONARIES
- Can you give us a quick explanation of how it works?
- Coach Green wasn't willing to accept his explanation.
- Each diagram is followed by a simple explanation.
- He offered no explanation for his absence at the previous day's meeting.
- I don't know why he tested positive for drugs. The only explanation I can think of is that the samples got mixed up.
- Our guide gave us a detailed explanation of the system of government.
- Scientists have offered various explanations for these changes in climate.
- She offered no explanation as to why she had left so suddenly.
- There are several possible explanations for girls' superior high school performance.
- This work should have been finished a week ago. What's your explanation?
- What was their explanation for their decision?
- Does the as-if strategy of pragmatism allow a better explanation?
- One can go to the thousands of human societies and find ingenious explanations for each incidence of masculinity and femininity.
- Some of these critiques give mono-casual, but most give multi-dimensional, explanations of the links between law and society.
- Students can rewrite an explanation for a different audience, such as their younger brothers and sisters.
- The kind of explanation we come up with must not contradict the laws of physics.
- The people who consider themselves to be pentecostals are uncomfortable with explanations of their movement that seem to explain it away.
- This can be ascribed to the absence of any craft-related explanation of the changes.
- Unless Guy came up with an acceptable explanation, the entire Court would be gossiping about them.
THESAURUS
why something happens, or why someone does something: · What was the reason for the delay?· I don’t know the reason why he left his last job.
the reason why something happens, especially something bad: · What was the cause of his death?· We studied the causes of the First World War.
a set of reasons that helps you to understand why something happens, especially when it seems difficult to understand: · There are various possible explanations for climate change.· Is there any explanation for his behavior?
a reason that makes someone decide to do something – often used about crimes: · Police say that there is no obvious motive for the attack.
a good reason for doing something that seems wrong: · There is never any justification for torture or abuse.· They try to use the situation in the Middle East as a justification for killing innocent civilians.· There’s no justification for this type of behaviour.
a reason that makes it right or fair to do something, especially according to legal, official, or moral rules: · The court will decide if she has grounds for divorce.· They claim the war is justified on moral grounds (=because of moral reasons).
the main ideas or reasons on which something is based: · The doctor makes his decisions purely on the basis of clinical observation.· What do you think is the basis for this advice?
formal a set of reasons that are used to explain why someone does something in a particular way: · the rationale behind the government’s economic reforms· This chapter explains the nature of yearly plans, and provides a rationale for their use.
Longman Language Activatorthe words you write or say to explain something something that you say or write in order to make something clearer or to explain why something happened: · Each diagram is followed by a simple explanation.explanation for: · What was their explanation for their decision?explanation of: · Our guide gave us a detailed explanation of the system of government.give/offer (somebody) an explanation: · Can you give us a quick explanation of how it works?· She offered no explanation as to why she had left so suddenly.
written or spoken information that explains exactly how to do something: · Read the instructions carefully before using the machine.· The cooking instructions are on the back of the box.give (somebody) instructions: · They gave us detailed instructions explaining how to get to their house.follow instructions (=do what they tell you): · if you had followed my instructions, none of this would have happened.
a detailed description of a process which also explains how it happens and what makes it possible: account of: · So far no linguist has given us a satisfactory account of how children learn language.· Her account of the events of that day was wildly different from the first witness's.
why something happens or why someone does something what makes something happen, or what makes someone do something: · Why did he poison his wife? There must be a reason.reason for: · Dad went off to find out the reason for the delay.reason for doing something: · What was your reason for leaving your last job?reason to do something: · You don't need a reason to phone her. Just call her up and say hello.reason why: · There's no reason why Jon can't come with us.reason (that): · One of the main reasons that she looks so good is that she has her own personal stylist.for personal/health/business etc reasons: · For security reasons, there were video cameras at the school entrance.for some reason especially spoken (=for a reason that you do not know or understand): · No, he isn't here - he had to go back to Poland for some reason.for reasons best known to himself/herself etc (=for secret reasons that other people do not know or understand): · For reasons best known to themselves, my parents were vehemently opposed to the idea.
a fact, statement, or idea that helps you to understand why something has happened: · I don't know why he tested positive for drugs. The only explanation I can think of is that the samples got mixed up.explanation for: · Scientists have offered various explanations for these changes in climate.possible explanation: · There are several possible explanations for girls' superior high school performance.
the reason that makes someone decide to do something, especially something bad or dishonest: · It's hard to understand her motives.motive for/behind: · Police believe the motive for the murder was jealousy· The motive behind the killing of Agnes Law was robbery.motive for doing something: · Whatever your motives for coming over, I'm glad you did.an ulterior motive (=a hidden reason for doing something): · She was suspicious. Was there an ulterior motive behind his request?
the strong feeling that is your reason for wanting to do something or achieve something, especially something that may take a long time to achieve: · She enjoyed the excitement of her work. Money was not her only motivation.motivation for: · Fame was the main motivation for their efforts.motivation for doing something: · His motivation for wanting to stay on as manager is to see England as the top team in the world.
the reason that someone gives to explain why they do or do not do something but which is only partly true: · His sore leg was a pretext. He just wanted a day off work.pretext for: · Minor offences were sometimes used as a pretext for an arrest.pretext to do something: · She couldn't find a pretext to visit Derek at home.on the pretext of/that (=giving the reason that): · He used to spend hours at her house on the pretext of giving her Japanese lessons.
a reason explaining why you did something wrong something that you say to try to explain why you did something bad, so that people will forgive you: · Oh shut up Bill, I'm tired of listening to your excuses.excuse for: · He said his car had broken down, but it was just an excuse for coming home late.make excuses (=invent excuses in order to try to escape punishment or blame): · He doesn't make excuses when he gets something wrong.feeble/pathetic/weak excuse: · That is the most feeble excuse for failing a test that I have ever heard.
something that you say which gives good reasons for something wrong which you have done: · This work should have been finished a week ago. What's your explanation?explanation for: · He offered no explanation for his absence at the previous day's meeting.
to tell someone the reason for something to tell someone why something happened: · I knew she was annoyed, but she wouldn't say why.· Can anyone tell us why there are no buses today?
to tell someone the reason for something, so that they understand the situation better: · She just doesn't like me. How else can you explain her behaviour?· I don't have time to explain now - just come with me quickly!explain why/how/what etc: · Doctors are unable to explain why the disease spread so quickly.explain that: · Sarah explained that she hadn't been feeling well recently.explain to: · It was difficult explaining to the children why their father was leaving home.
to tell someone why you are doing something, especially something surprising: · "He says he's not coming." "Oh, did he give a reason?"give somebody a reason: · The landlord told us we had to go, but we were never given any reason.
to tell someone the reason for something that has happened, especially when people are looking for a reason to explain it: · If you walked home, how do you account for the fact that a witness said he saw you driving your van?· It is difficult to account for the big differences in their scores.
to tell someone the reason why something happened when they have asked you to explain. Provide an explanation is more formal than come up with an explanation: · In an attempt to provide an explanation she said she thought I had given her permission to be absent.· After failing to come up with an adequate explanation, Jones was arrested for robbery.
to tell someone why something that seems wrong is in fact right: · How can you justify the expense?justify doing something: · How can you possibly justify charging four pounds for a glass of beer?
to tell someone the reason why you did something or why something happened, with the intention of making them think you have not done anything wrong or bad: explain away something: · George was trying to explain away his outburst, saying that he'd been under a lot of pressure.· The government tried to explain away the police's unexpected brutality, but this only led to rioting.explain something away: · But there's broken glass all over the floor - how are we going to explain that away?
to find the answer or explanation to something to find the explanation to something that is difficult to understand, for example a crime or a mystery: · The role of the press is to sell newspapers, not to solve crime.· At last astronomers have solved the mystery of the rings encircling the planet Saturn.· These games encourage children's ability to solve puzzles using their mathematical skills.
to find the explanation for something that is difficult to understand, by thinking carefully about it and using the information available to you: figure out/work out how/why/what etc: · My husband bought me a knitting machine for Christmas but I still haven't figured out how it works.· From the evidence gathered from witnesses we should be able to work out what happened that night.figure/work out something: · The police haven't even managed to figure out a motive.figure/work something out: · Don't tell him the answer - let him work it out for himself.
to find a way of explaining something, especially after trying for a fairly long time: · Sheena has had these stomach pains before, but the doctors think they have found an explanation this time.find an explanation for: · No one has been able to find a rational explanation for the ship's sudden disappearance.
to find the whole explanation for something that is strange and difficult to understand, so that it is completely solved: clear up something: · I was hoping that your research would clear up a question that has been bothering me.clear something up: · Can you clear something up for us? How old are you?· The Dreyfus case was never completely cleared up. It remains a mystery.
informal to find the explanation for something such as a crime or something that is difficult to understand, especially after trying for a long time: · It's a tough case but I'm determined to crack it.· Give Tom a mathematical puzzle and he'll just keep on trying till he cracks it.
to gradually find the explanation for something that is difficult to understand because it is very complicated: · We are only just beginning to unravel the mysteries of the human brain.· Can scientists unravel the complex interactions of chemicals within foods?
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE ENTRYverbs He was unable to give a credible explanation for his behaviour. Her excuse was barely credible. Margaret found his excuse somewhat implausible. She gave some lame excuse about missing the bus.
· Does the hospital have any explanation for why he died?
· The police gave no explanation for their actions.
· This theory may provide an explanation for the origins of the universe.
· When I asked for an explanation, the people at the office said they didn't know.· Furious parents are demanding an explanation from the school.
(=expect an explanation)· She continued to stare at him in silence, waiting for an explanation.
· Scientists have been unable to find an explanation for this phenomenon.
· I think you owe me some kind of explanation.
(=believe that it is true or correct)· The court accepted her explanation.
· We think the minister’s decision requires an explanation.
adjectives· Can anyone think of a possible explanation for why this is happening?
(=one that is probably true)· The most likely explanation is that John missed the bus.· The most probable explanation is that the water was contaminated.
(=one that is easy to see or notice)· There is no obvious explanation for his strange behaviour.
(=one that is easy to believe)· Pilot error is the most plausible explanation for the crash.
(=one that explains something completely)· A bank must offer an adequate explanation of all its charges.
(=one that you can believe is true)· The author fails to provide a convincing explanation for the main character’s motives.
(=one that is based on facts)· Physics finally gave us a rational explanation for the atom’s strange behaviour.
(=additional reasons)· He gave no further explanation for leaving, and she did not ask for any.
phrases (=used when there is no explanation that you can think of)· There was no apparent explanation for the attack.
COLLOCATIONS FROM OTHER ENTRIES· When he asked for an explanation, no one could give him an answer.
He was unable to give a credible explanation for his behaviour. Her excuse was barely credible. Margaret found his excuse somewhat implausible. She gave some lame excuse about missing the bus.· What is the most likely explanation for the way she acted?
· A variety of reasons have been put forward to explain these changes.
· I told myself that there must be some simple, rational explanation.
· He tried to think of a reasonable excuse.
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE CORPUSADJECTIVE· It is very hard to provide a simple but adequate explanation.· The analyst must be sensitive to possible environmental effects when attempting to provide an adequate explanation for a particular political behavior.· Nor is economic failure an adequate explanation.· It is, rather, the context in which more adequate explanation can occur, or at least be attempted.· But is this an adequate explanation?· As a result, there is rarely the time to provide adequate explanations as to why a particular step is carried out.· However, other data presented here suggest that this is not an adequate explanation.
· But the teams are rapidly running out of alternative explanations for these events.· Defensible conclusions in analyses of politics often require extensive data, thorough analysis, and consideration of several alternative explanations.· But an alternative explanation had also come to him which he knew he should not ignore.· We may need alternative explanations or interpretations.· This is certainly a very plausible alternative explanation for the demise of the Daily Herald.· An alternative explanation of such uplifts involves the effects of density changes in minerals in the upper mantle.· At the same time, it is not alone in the field: there are alternative mystical explanations of misfortune.· They can be encouraged to consider alternative explanations.
· Among the studies that have found that small farms have higher land productivity, different causal explanations may be found.· The orbital motion of the earth provided a causal explanation for why the planets appeared to meander across the sky.· Nor have we tried to decide whether rules and reasons can only be considered in a hermeneutic framework incompatible with causal explanation.· This view characterises most sociological explanations of crime, including those that fall into the third category of causal explanation: invention.· Is the meaning account merely preliminary to a real causal explanation?· Crucially, therefore, causal explanation is the proper procedure when we engage in natural science but not elsewhere.· The Smith-Thomson critique offers no causal explanation of precisely why shifts have occurred in the balance of community and state provision.· From these examples it will begin to be apparent that witchcraft is invoked as a causal explanation of irregularities.
· Each book in this highly-acclaimed series provides clear explanations of some of the main principles behind language teaching.· It provides clear explanations, under alphabetically ordered entries, of virtually all learners' recurrent difficulties.· At the very least a clear case is owed a clear explanation if it is rejected.· We have no clear explanation for the thrombosis of the pseudoaneurysm in our case.· The tutorials in the maths and science books contain clear explanations for how to arrive at the answers.· He was himself a greatly talented teacher, a master of clear explanation and a fine blackboard artist.· I have become confused recently and would appreciate a clear explanation.· A number of explanations for these results are available, but it is not yet clear which explanations are correct.
· A good way of breaking up the detailed explanation is to add a quotation or two in this section.· None the less, the concepts are powerful and provide a way into understanding the more detailed managerial explanations that follow later.· The Pru is sending a detailed explanation of the accruals method and the full accruals figures for 1991 and 1990 to shareholders.· Out of necessity these are brief as a detailed explanation would fill a book by itself.· It is provided for reference purposes; you will find more detailed explanations elsewhere in this manual?· See Appendix 1 for a detailed explanation of each of these.
· Several quite different kinds of explanation might be suggested for these observations.· Although each approach provides a different explanation of how politics works, they all share two important features. 1.· Among the studies that have found that small farms have higher land productivity, different causal explanations may be found.· Could there be a different explanation altogether?· Marx's work offers a very different explanation for the inequalities within and between societies.· Pearson also examines the recurrent nature of different explanations of the criminal question.· This is, however, a revealing case study in that disagreements show up the different modes of explanation clearly.· There can be a number of different levels of explanation.
· Turn to page 25 for a fuller explanation.· Patients received a full explanation of the relevance of the external sphincter in controlling anorectal functioning before starting biofeedback.· Mr Wingate was full of explanations, and precious few of them made sense.· Your answer need not be quite as full as the explanations given here.· The authors conclude that a combination of the last two models offers the best prospect of a full explanation.· For a fuller explanation see paragraph 17-02, below.· See preceding error message in the incident log file for a fuller explanation of the error encountered.
· The word merits requires further explanation.· For them, wealth concentration requires no further explanation.· So dismissive a judgment requires further explanation.· Jobs was not available for further explanation.· Without further explanation, their escorts led the puzzled party away from their quarters.· Then I drove off, with my clothes and without further explanation, to my parents' house.· Soon, people in the divisions learn to live with their binds by generating further explanations.· The traditional term will serve, even if it is one the scope of which requires further explanation.
· Running was the most likely explanation.· I had suggested some new tropical disease was a far more likely explanation.· The most likely explanation for this is that the vehicle itself is not actually speeding up, but the cooling fan is!· These relaxations are a more likely explanation for oesophagopharyngeal reflux than defective basal upper oesophageal sphincter tone.· The most likely explanation seems to be that stroking makes leaf tissues tougher.· The more likely explanation is that she was pressurising him to leave your daughter to marry her.· The most likely explanation was her offer to buy him dinner in return for the loan of the flat.
· No obvious explanation was available and Customs and Excise raised an assessment.· For this, there seems to be at least one obvious explanation.· As goals at Arsenal became fewer, most people plumped for the most obvious explanation.· There is an obvious materialist explanation.· The most obvious explanation is that reflux of duodenal content into the stomach after operation is responsible.· The obvious explanation for the vividness of her memory is that it involved an outstanding event in her athletic career.· If there is no obvious explanation for this loss of restraint, what is the hidden one?· Such apparently obvious explanations for the desertion of a settlement are, however, too simplistic.
· Moreover, memory may be impaired for a variety of reasons, lack of initial attention is not the only possible explanation.· Berowne's only explanation had been that he felt it was time for his life to take a new direction.· That seemed the only possible explanation.· Is the standard unified model the only possible explanation of the experimental data it so well describes?· Is the only explanation to be found in the liberal application of intention in interpreting trusts?· Static electricity - that was the only explanation - although from his bland expression he had felt no similar spark on contact.· Coalition mongering is the only plausible explanation.· The only possible explanation is that they are holding a wooden effigy.
· Hence, Freeman is refuted since presumably other explanations are conceivable, even if it turns out they aren't very interesting.· The advantage of the design is that it allows us to exclude other explanations.· There seemed no other explanation than a hair-line fracture.· The flashpoints model is therefore inapplicable to this form of disorder and other explanations are therefore necessary.· There are many other possible explanations for the missing 100 attendances.· They look around for other explanations and ulterior motives.· But there could be other explanations.· In relation to literature at least, two other explanations suggest themselves.
· This is certainly a very plausible alternative explanation for the demise of the Daily Herald.· But that scenario presented geophysicists with a radical yet plausible explanation for the anti-continents.· Try processing all the relevant information contained in the problem to help you come up with one plausible explanation.· The most plausible explanation of this observation is an abrupt, massive, global acidification of rainwater.· One plausible area for explanation might lie in the experience of material security or insecurity.· This explanation fits the facts and is psychologically plausible.· There is only one really plausible explanation.· Coalition mongering is the only plausible explanation.
· Three possible explanations come to mind.· One possible explanation is that the beacons have a history of malfunctioning during bad weather.· The first child offers a possible explanation which reasonably draws on his knowledge of how water levels in containers can go down.· Moreover, memory may be impaired for a variety of reasons, lack of initial attention is not the only possible explanation.· That seemed the only possible explanation.· Is the standard unified model the only possible explanation of the experimental data it so well describes?· Unfortunately, since there are so many possible explanations, the correct one is most difficult to ascertain.· It is worth examining briefly some of the possible explanations for this emphasis on remedial law.
· Only now have scientists begun to offer rational explanations for this phenomenon.· Through their various plights, the drama questions a world where feminine ideals regularly defy rational explanation.· This is the mystery of sin which has no rational explanation, for it is ultimately and radically inexplicable.· Either way, there has to be some rational explanation of Clinton's conduct.· There was a rational explanation for all this and, when Carol arrived, he'd discover what it was.· I told myself that there must be some simple, rational explanation, something Illingworth had overlooked.· In any case, Amiss's mind was racing, grappling with a situation devoid of any rational explanation.· Some constructs may reflect pre-verbal bases of organization which can not be accounted for by rational explanation.
· You're not stupid and you know what you saw but she may have some other reasonable explanation.· For a majority of things, reasonable explanations have been provided.· Now he had vanished with no reasonable explanation whatever.· The statistics indicate a reasonable level of explanation for a difference equation.· He could give no reasonable explanation.· A policeman had suspected them for loitering about, they wouldn't give a reasonable explanation or account of themselves.
· We never have a satisfactory explanation of where it comes from.· So far, neither nature nor nurture has provided a completely satisfactory explanation.· Can I offer any more satisfactory explanation of the mystery of existence?· This is an extraordinary ratio, and there has never been a satisfactory explanation for it.· A more satisfactory explanation might be that different moral considerations apply for different people in similar situations.· To date, no one has been able to come up with a satisfactory explanation.· We must now change gear somewhat, and ask what it would take for such relationships to be treated as satisfactory explanations.
· For this reason, it is important to examine those societies that appear to contradict much of scientific and commonsensical explanation.· This is still not a scientific explanation.· The statements can be from other children in the class or they might be standard scientific explanations.· In traditional macho science, scientific explanations stressed hierarchies and unidirectional causal paths.· There were sensible, scientific explanations about the effect of the changes in air pressure.· The concept of purpose is creeping back into scientific explanations.· To Boltwood, the scientific explanation is immaterial.· The shared concept of scientific explanation was always contestable and has of late been radically contested.
· There is no simple explanation, but there are two main threads.· Hence differentiated products provide a simple explanation of intraindustry trade.· It is very hard to provide a simple but adequate explanation.· But the simplest explanation is perhaps the most convincing.· For this there was one simple explanation.· I told myself that there must be some simple, rational explanation, something Illingworth had overlooked.· Group behaviour is rarely patient of simple explanations.· So the simplest explanation is the one that can include the whole range of complex elements within one integral and harmonious scheme.
· The very radical autonomy of modernist cultural forms makes their social or social-historical explanation an extremely difficult pursuit.· How can one possibly advance a social explanation for practices whose very constitutive principle is their independence from society?· Contemporary political struggles organised on religious lines clearly need social and economic explanations.· Gender should never be used as a bottom line explanation because it is a social construction needing explanation itself.· There is an obvious social motive behind explanations with a sharing function.· For these suggest that holism and individualism can fruitfully be seen as serving different interests in social explanation.· The polarity between biological and social explanations of subjectivity has been as controversial among western feminists as among psychologists.· Althusser's abolition of the subject therefore commits him to an unequivocally holist account of social explanation.
VERB· These comparisons ` serve as a rough negative check on accepted historical explanations.· Because of this people were willing to accept poorly formulated religious explanations which had little or nothing to do with the Bible.· Whatever Jean saw in you that first occasion was still there and she accepted your explanation about letting her down that evening.· Neta accepted the explanation at face value.· He accepted the explanation without question.· He sat appropriately in his chair and accepted explanations for the work that was to begin.· It was almost as difficult to accept a natural explanation as a supernatural explanation.· Cranston just nodded, accepting his explanation as something irrelevant.
· When Matilda had demanded an explanation, Isabel had given it to her, omitting nothing.· She loved him in ways that were never quite clear, but one does not demand explanations in matters of love.· Then she hurried into the hall and picked up the telephone, intent upon speaking to Ursula and demanding an explanation.· Something in the loch has produced some very peculiar sonar traces on some very sophisticated equipment, and that something demands explanation.· This verbal testimony stems from the silent witness of a quality of life which demands an explanation.· Trimble demanded an explanation from Sinn Fein.· With difficulty Shiona resisted the urge to phone him up at home and demand an explanation.· But later he told a Melbourne radio station that he would demand an explanation if he were asked to step down.
· I hope that you find this explanation helpful.· One can go to the thousands of human societies and find ingenious explanations for each incidence of masculinity and femininity.· As I think I said, such noises as I have experienced have eventually found explanations.· And as no-one takes the paradigm seriously, no-one is troubled to try to find an explanation for the seemingly anomalous data.· I try to find an explanation for him.· Although they sat up later than their normal bedtime, neither could find any explanation.· The first school of thought tended to examine data on outcomes in order to find an explanation.· The demographic evidence on this matter has been examined above and found wanting as an explanation of population growth.
· It makes it clear that the fire caused the accident but it doesn't give any explanation of what caused the fire.· Daniels Cablevision gave a similar explanation for its policy.· These are the intuitions that give holist and individualist explanations their initial plausibility.· We can, however, give one self-consistent explanation that agrees with the known facts.· I want to give an explanation of my own experience described there.· This theory enables one to give an explanation for the existence of the universe, in terms of a goal or purpose.· Locke gives much the same explanation.· He gave no explanation for his action, but it seemed to reflect the edginess with which government authorities view the anniversary.
· And Londoners need explanations and reassurance.· She now feels, however, that she has gone beyond romance and needs explanations of hard real life.· Experiments with water Older preschoolers will enjoy these simple experiments, which will need your supervision and explanation.· We may need alternative explanations or interpretations.· The paradox of this maintained demand, despite the return of higher food prices and periodic scarcities, needs explanation.· Apparent miracles of complexity in animals act hence need no explanation beyond those involved in how they are built.· It needs support from an explanation, in terms of the conditional theory, of how there can be such counter-examples.· Anxiety dreams - which again need little explanation.
· The first child offers a possible explanation which reasonably draws on his knowledge of how water levels in containers can go down.· He offered another explanation for why Sen.· Each, in any event, offers explanations at a level deeper than prediction.· I tried to offer explanations, drawing on my brief legal experience.· It does not offer another explanation, however.· They offered no explanation for why they failed to mention the excessive airborne formaldehyde last week.· Fletcher offered no explanation till he had driven away from the Parc Hotel.· The approach is cognitive and the books offer a combination of explanations, examples, and a variety of imaginative exercises.
· At the very least a clear case is owed a clear explanation if it is rejected.· Of course, a decision not to have children is a legitimate choice, and whoever makes it owes no explanation.· At the same time I felt I was owed an explanation.· It seemed to me I owed him some explanation.
· The principles of politeness and co-operation are not, on their own, enough to provide the explanation for this inference.· Although each approach provides a different explanation of how politics works, they all share two important features. 1.· The orbital motion of the earth provided a causal explanation for why the planets appeared to meander across the sky.· History-events may occur in addition to the experimental treatment and thus provide alternate explanations of effects.· And it provides a useful explanation for the power house that fuels certain cosmic sources.· Without calling Josta a carbonated love potion, Pepsi provides a little explanation on the back of each can.· Religion plays a vital role in society because it provides an explanation of origin and destiny, of identity and purpose.· Heather had never seen this in him before but it provided an explanation to something that had been bothering her.
· There will, however, be some cases where the minister's decision is more complex, and requires some explanation.· For them, wealth concentration requires no further explanation.· The word merits requires further explanation.· A monistic starting point for the cosmos requires an explanation to account for the variety and multiplicity in the cosmos.· Relationships between the government and the employing organisation require explanation too.· The reason for this alliance, though it requires some explanation, was not essentially complex.· The detail of this book requires more explanation than is possible here, but this is a rewarding book to read.· These are examples of the many questions about politics that require explanation, not mere descriptive facts.
· One approach is to seek an adaptive explanation.· The governor and his son declined to return calls seeking explanation for the Symington entry in Melones Internacional incorporation documents.· The most fruitful procedure might well be to seek lines of explanation other than those associated with the notion of prestige.· Sitting on the hearthrug, Bobby looked at her, mutely seeking an explanation for his master's absence.· Science naturally seeks a fuller explanation of that behavior; its goal is the destruction of mystery.· He telephoned Yorkshire Television to seek explanations and advice, demanding plaintively in a guttural accent.· We seek explanations when something puzzles or surprises us.
PHRASES FROM OTHER ENTRIES
- At the same time I felt I was owed an explanation.
- At the very least a clear case is owed a clear explanation if it is rejected.
- I guess I owe her an apology.
- I think these people who said those hateful things about him owe him an apology.
- I think you owe an apology to Clegg.
- In light of this, do you feel you owe the world an apology?
- Of course, a decision not to have children is a legitimate choice, and whoever makes it owes no explanation.
- You owe him an apology for misjudging him and suspecting his motives at every turn.
WORD FAMILYadjectiveunexplainedexplanatoryexplicable ≠ inexplicablenounexplainingexplanationverbexplainadverbinexplicably
1[countable, uncountable] the reasons you give for why something happened or why you did somethingexplanation of/for Can you think of any explanation for this failure?without explanation The concert was cancelled without explanation.► see thesaurus at reason2[countable] a statement or piece of writing intended to describe how something works or make something easier to understandprovide/give an explanation The ability to give clear explanations is the most important quality of the ideal teacher.explanation of I’ll try and give you a quick explanation of how the machine works.COLLOCATIONSverbshave an explanation· Does the hospital have any explanation for why he died?give an explanation· The police gave no explanation for their actions.provide/offer an explanation· This theory may provide an explanation for the origins of the universe.ask for/demand an explanation· When I asked for an explanation, the people at the office said they didn't know.· Furious parents are demanding an explanation from the school.wait for an explanation (=expect an explanation)· She continued to stare at him in silence, waiting for an explanation.find/think of/come up with an explanation· Scientists have been unable to find an explanation for this phenomenon.owe (somebody) an explanation· I think you owe me some kind of explanation.accept an explanation (=believe that it is true or correct)· The court accepted her explanation.need/require an explanation· We think the minister’s decision requires an explanation.adjectivesa possible explanation· Can anyone think of a possible explanation for why this is happening?the most likely/probable explanation (=one that is probably true)· The most likely explanation is that John missed the bus.· The most probable explanation is that the water was contaminated.an obvious explanation (=one that is easy to see or notice)· There is no obvious explanation for his strange behaviour.a reasonable/plausible explanation (=one that is easy to believe)· Pilot error is the most plausible explanation for the crash.a satisfactory/adequate explanation (=one that explains something completely)· A bank must offer an adequate explanation of all its charges.a convincing/credible explanation (=one that you can believe is true)· The author fails to provide a convincing explanation for the main character’s motives.a logical/rational explanation (=one that is based on facts)· Physics finally gave us a rational explanation for the atom’s strange behaviour.further explanation (=additional reasons)· He gave no further explanation for leaving, and she did not ask for any.phrasesthere is no apparent explanation (=used when there is no explanation that you can think of)· There was no apparent explanation for the attack.