explicate
verb /ˈeksplɪkeɪt/
/ˈeksplɪkeɪt/
(formal)Verb Forms
| present simple I / you / we / they explicate | /ˈeksplɪkeɪt/ /ˈeksplɪkeɪt/ |
| he / she / it explicates | /ˈeksplɪkeɪts/ /ˈeksplɪkeɪts/ |
| past simple explicated | /ˈeksplɪkeɪtɪd/ /ˈeksplɪkeɪtɪd/ |
| past participle explicated | /ˈeksplɪkeɪtɪd/ /ˈeksplɪkeɪtɪd/ |
| -ing form explicating | /ˈeksplɪkeɪtɪŋ/ /ˈeksplɪkeɪtɪŋ/ |
- explicate something to explain an idea or a work of literature in a lot of detail
- How can we best explicate ‘King Lear’ and understand it?
- It is impossible to explicate this concept in any meaningful way.
Word Originmid 16th cent.: from Latin explicat- ‘unfolded’, from the verb explicare, from ex- ‘out’ + plicare ‘to fold’.