explicitex‧pli‧cit /ɪkˈsplɪsɪt/ ●○○ AWL adjective 
The contrast could not have been made more explicit. explicit knowledge of grammar The kidnappers gave us explicit instructions not to involve the police. Be explicit when you talk about money with your family.explicit about He made the rules without being explicit about them.2language or pictures that are explicit describe or show sex or violence very clearly: The film contains some very explicit love scenes. sexually explicit language—explicitly adverb—explicitness noun [uncountable]
WORD ORIGINexplicit
Origin:
1600-1700 French explicite, from Latin explicare; ➔ EXPLICATEEXAMPLES FROM OTHER DICTIONARIES
- A health inspector gave explicit instructions on how to correct the problem.
- He's not being very explicit about his plans, is he?
- I don't quite understand -- could you be a bit more explicit?
- Mr Beazley left explicit instructions that he wasn't to be disturbed.
- There are several very explicit love scenes in the movie.
- Already, certain sites on the Internet make an explicit commitment to privacy.
- It didn't need to be sexually explicit.
- Sometimes the researcher will present an explicit hypothesis and set out to test it.
- Special manuals provide explicit and elaborate instructions as to the creating of different icons and the use of different kinds of material.
- The prelates were concerned, as explicit statements show, primarily to defend the church's liberties.
- The presence of these links is often signalled by explicit cues within the text.
- This is because the explicit tax rate and the means-tested benefit withdrawal rate exceeds unity.
Longman Language Activatorclear and easy to understand
· The instructions aren't really clear.clear on/about · Children need clear rules about what is allowed and what isn't· You're not allowed to use a dictionary in this exam. The rules are quite clear on this point.clear to somebody · It may be clear to you, but I haven't got a clue what it means.crystal clear (=extremely clear) · Though he didn't say anything directly his meaning was crystal clear.
language, instructions etc that are plain are easy to understand because there is nothing difficult or unnecessary in them that might be confusing: · She spoke slowly and carefully, using plain simple language.· The document is written in plain English.
having only one possible meaning and therefore clear: · Safety guidelines need to be plain and unambiguous.· In last night's speech, the president finally made an unambiguous statement on the issue of taxes.
: explicit instructions/account/warning etc expressed very clearly and including every detail, so that no part of your meaning is hidden: · Mr Beazley left explicit instructions that he wasn't to be disturbed.· I don't quite understand -- could you be a bit more explicit?explicit about: · He's not being very explicit about his plans, is he?
formal so clear that the meaning or intention cannot be mistaken or doubted: · The European Parliament has given the plan its unequivocal support.· The answer to our request was an unequivocal "no".· This time his father was unequivocal: "You're getting no more money from me, and that's final.''
formal if you expressly state something, you state it very clearly and firmly, usually in writing: expressly state something: · Although it's not expressly stated in your contract, you are expected to attend weekend training sessions.· It is expressly stated in the sales agreement that the buyer is to pay for any home inspection.expressly forbid something: · The new law expressly forbids the importation of radioactive waste.
to add details to what you have said to give more information about something by adding details to what you have already said or written: · Can you give me more details about the cost of these courses, please?· The press officer was unable to give any more details about the assassination attempt.
formal to provide more information about something in order to make it easier for someone to understand: · Could you expand on your last comment, please?· When asked to expand on his accusations of injustice, the journalist refused to say any more.· I was unsure whether this was meant as an insult or a compliment, but he didn't choose to enlarge on his remark.
to give someone more details about something than you have already said or written: · I don't have time to go into more detail. Perhaps we could talk about this tomorrow.· I would like you to tell your story to my colleagues, and they may want you to go into greater detail.go into more/greater detail about: · Her talk was interesting, but I wish she'd gone into more detail about the early part of her career.
to give much clearer and more detailed information about something, especially when you have been asked to do this: · I don't understand what your plan is exactly. Could you be a little more specific?be more specific/be more explicit about: · The main political parties need to be much more explicit about their policies for the environment.
formal to provide more details about something that you have said or written, especially in order to make it easier to understand: · What exactly do you mean by "traditional education"? Would you care to elaborate?elaborate on/upon: · I would like now to elaborate upon the points raised in my introduction.elaborate an argument/point etc: · This argument will be elaborated more fully in the next chapter.
use this to add a particular detail or example to what you are already saying, so that people know exactly what you are going to talk about: · In the next chapter I want to explore the question of the cultural boundaries between different subjects. Specifically I will look at what we mean by the terms "art" and "science".
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE ENTRY The contrast could not have been made more explicit. explicit knowledge of grammar The kidnappers gave us explicit instructions not to involve the police. sexually explicit languageCOLLOCATIONS FROM OTHER ENTRIES
The contrast could not have been made more explicit. explicit knowledge of grammar The kidnappers gave us explicit instructions not to involve the police. sexually explicit language (=mentioning something specifically/directly etc)· No specific reference was made to the race of the children.
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE CORPUSADVERB· Note, however, that this should not be as explicit as is the name of the murderer.· Documentation must be as explicit as possible because staff and circumstance seem to take a rabbinical delight in producing difficult cases.· The prelates were concerned, as explicit statements show, primarily to defend the church's liberties.· Pynchon is as explicit as Burroughs about the disruptive effects of his method.
· The focus on women was less explicit in the mid / late 1990s than it had earlier been.· There was a political undercurrent as well, though this was less explicit.· If the scenes of homosexuality were less explicit, there would be a powerful case for allowing its broadcast.· It would be difficult to imagine a less explicit authorizing resolution.· In the earlier period the reports were much less explicit than now.· Women, it appears, are more likely to be stimulated by written and less explicit material.
· Moreover, the principle of linguistic self-consciousness or reflexivity seems to be made even more explicit when transposed to the narrative model.· The Derveni commentary was more explicit regarding character of time in the human world.· He didn't need to be more explicit.· Can things get any more explicit?· In these studies, racism is also a more explicit part of the research agenda.· But then patterns begin to freeze, making relationships more explicit and meanings more precise.· The implicit values in drama are made more explicit in the advertising that sponsors and accompanies the fiction.· Of course, making the connection more explicit will not impress everybody.
· One of the most explicit political theories of that period is that of Gluckman.· Buchanan has been the most explicit in offering a diagnosis, and a cure.· However, even in the best companies, most explicit knowledge never appears in documents or databases.· The most explicit works were made in recent years, when censorship has eased.· Adam Smith made the most explicit statements in support of the idea that education improves the quality of labour and hence raises economic growth.· The surveys have provided the most explicit statement of how, and on what basis, data are collected.
· The codes of governments and religions are usually quite explicit and allow little room for diversity or change.· In fact, most of the descriptions are quite explicit, and a good understanding can be obtained by following the details.· If Luke is vague on the subject, Matthew and Mark are both quite explicit.· Hobbes is quite explicit about this.· In Revelation 13 the link between the cosmic powers and the deep is quite explicit.· In most cases the literature which we discuss offers clear priorities and quite explicit points of view in relation to photographic cultures.· These are quite explicit in the Communist Manifesto as well as many other writings of many Marxist thinkers.· It had involved disregarding Rosa's quite explicit wishes.
· It didn't need to be sexually explicit.· Gruntal managers also frequently permitted and also circulated cartoons and other sexually explicit materials in the office.· As sexually explicit lyrics boomed and fans pressed against the stage, two young women pushed their way to the front.· Warning: These plays are sexually explicit and contain nudity and violence which may offend.· The best-selling sexually explicit blockbuster phenomenon is to do with money, nothing to do with literature.· At least were their dreams after seeing the films more sexually explicit than on control nights?· He was found not guilty of supplying a copy of an unclassified and uncut version of the sexually explicit film Caligula.
· It has attempted to be very explicit about what it considers to be unnecessary local expenditure.· Write a mash note to the waiter on the hill: Be very explicit.· There are some very explicit recommendations to involve the voluntary sector in an important way.· The grammatical and morphological information in learner's dictionaries also tend to be very explicit.· The fourth commandment is very explicit that six days of every week are for work and one for rest.· I know of no very explicit discussion of how this could come about, in evolution or in individual development.· There was a suicide note of a kind in the car but the words were not very explicit.
NOUN· The answer to what must be done has to begin with some explicit goals.
· Her explicit instructions were not to get involved, nor ever to reveal her real purpose there.· Such an approach occasionally misrepresents the composer's explicit instructions.
· After Kingman there was a growing consensus that some kind of explicit knowledge about language was necessary for both teachers and pupils.· They should rather be given explicit knowledge, thus preventing the usual defence of a claim of ignorance.· However, even in the best companies, most explicit knowledge never appears in documents or databases.
· Sexually explicit material is fine in front of a student crowd, but elsewhere it can be a bit tricky.· Gruntal managers also frequently permitted and also circulated cartoons and other sexually explicit materials in the office.· Women, it appears, are more likely to be stimulated by written and less explicit material.
· But Anselm never stopped trying to get an explicit recognition of Canterbury's claim from the pope.· Guarantees of economic freedoms included explicit recognition of the right of citizens to engage in private business.· This changed when there was explicit recognition of the place of party politics in the shaping of education.
· These are the main cases in which an explicit reference is made to the importance of intention in interpreting trusts.· We finally debated at great length whether it would be possible to avoid making explicit reference to the Director.
· An explicit statement saying that applicable standards have been adhered to, or the reasons for departures, must also be included.· Recommended changes had to be substantiated by explicit statements of rationale, supported by the systematic review of relevant empirical data.· Often the clues to meaning lie in subtle implication rather than in explicit statement.· The prelates were concerned, as explicit statements show, primarily to defend the church's liberties.· Adam Smith made the most explicit statements in support of the idea that education improves the quality of labour and hence raises economic growth.· There were even explicit statements to the effect that science and religion should not be mixed.· This allows rules with a wide variety of realisations to be specified with only a small number of explicit statements.· The surveys have provided the most explicit statement of how, and on what basis, data are collected.
WORD FAMILYadjectiveimplicit ≠ explicitadverbimplicitly ≠ explicitly
1expressed in a way that is very clear and direct: The contrast could not have been made more explicit. explicit knowledge of grammar The kidnappers gave us explicit instructions not to involve the police. Be explicit when you talk about money with your family.explicit about He made the rules without being explicit about them.2language or pictures that are explicit describe or show sex or violence very clearly: The film contains some very explicit love scenes. sexually explicit language—explicitly adverb—explicitness noun [uncountable]