- to make clear or explicit; explain
- to formulate or develop (a theory, hypothesis, etc)
WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026
ex•pli•cate /ˈɛksplɪˌkeɪt/USA pronunciation
v. [~ + object], -cat•ed, -cat•ing.
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026- to explain in detail:Can you explicate the theory?
ex•pli•cate
(ek′spli kāt′),USA pronunciation v.t., -cat•ed, -cat•ing.
ex′pli•ca′tor, n.
- to make plain or clear;
explain;
interpret. - to develop (a principle, theory, etc.).
- Latin explicātus unfolded, set forth, past participle of explicāre, equivalent. to ex- ex-1 + plicāre to fold; see -ate1
- 1525–35
Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
explicate /ˈɛksplɪˌkeɪt/ vb (transitive) formal
'explicate' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):
explicit
- exploit
- analyze
- explain
- explicable
- explicandum
- explicans
- explication
- explicative
- gloss
- interpret