explanatory

explanatory — adjective

1. providing information that explains why something happens or describes how it wo

1.adjectiveB2
Definition

providing information that explains why something happens or describes how it works, so that it becomes easier to understand.

Example

The teacher handed out an explanatory note that showed how to solve the math problem.

attributive use: explanatory + noun (note)

A short explanatory video at the museum shows how ancient Egyptian tombs were built.

attributive use: explanatory + noun (video)

Common collocations
  • explanatory note
  • explanatory text
  • explanatory video
  • explanatory diagram
  • explanatory comment
  • explanatory statement
  • explanatory paragraph
Synonyms
  • clarifying

    less formal, more conversational; often used for spoken comments rather than written text

  • illustrative

    focuses on showing through examples or concrete images rather than stating reasons

  • informative

    broader in meaning; refers to anything that gives useful information, not necessarily explaining why or how

Antonyms
  • confusing

    makes something harder to understand instead of clearer

  • misleading

    gives wrong information that causes misunderstanding

Grammar Patterns

explanatory + noun

Usage Note

Explanatory is most commonly placed before a noun (attributive position), as in explanatory note or explanatory video. It is rarely used after a linking verb.

Common Mistakes

The reason for his absence is explanatory.
The reason for his absence is explainable.
'explanatory' describes the explanation itself, not the thing that can be explained.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/1

All three words describe something that helps people understand, but they differ in scope and typical context. Clarifying is the most conversational — it implies removing confusion from something previously unclear, and is often used for spoken follow-up comments ("Let me add a clarifying remark"). Illustrative is more specific: it refers to showing an idea through a concrete example, picture, or case study, so it is common in textbooks and presentations. Informative is the broadest of the three — any content that provides useful facts or knowledge is informative, whether or not it explains reasons or processes. An informative email might simply announce a date change, whereas an explanatory email would describe why the date changed. Choose clarifying when focusing on removing confusion, illustrative when showing through example, and informative when the key trait is useful content.

clarifyingillustrativeinformative ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

  • clearly explanatory
  • fully explanatory
  • partly explanatory

Etymology

LatinFrenchEnglish

Explanatory comes from Latin explanatorius, meaning 'serving to make plain or clear'. This was built from explanare ('to make flat' or 'to make clear'), which combined ex- ('out') and planus ('flat, level, clear'). The word entered English in the early 1600s through French explanations of Latin texts.