25.03.2013 Views

frequently_asked_questions_files/Oxford Thesaurus.pdf

frequently_asked_questions_files/Oxford Thesaurus.pdf

frequently_asked_questions_files/Oxford Thesaurus.pdf

SHOW MORE
SHOW LESS

Create successful ePaper yourself

Turn your PDF publications into a flip-book with our unique Google optimized e-Paper software.

110. 3 exhale, breathe out, expel: In the daytime we expire<br />

more carbon dioxide than during the night.<br />

explain v. 1 interpret, define, explicate, detail, delineate, make<br />

plain, simplify, spell out, resolve, get across, clarify, clear<br />

up, elucidate, illustrate, expound, describe, disclose, unfold,<br />

unravel, untangle: The teacher explained the theory so that<br />

even I could understand it. 2 Also, explain away. justify,<br />

account for, excuse, rationalize, legitimate, legitimatize,<br />

extenuate, palliate: You will be required to explain your<br />

absence.<br />

explanation<br />

n. 1 interpretation, definition, explication, delineation,<br />

simplification, resolution, clarification, elucidation,<br />

description, illustration, exposition, account, disclosure;<br />

exegesis, commentary, criticism, analysis: The encyclopedia<br />

contains detailed explanations of how machines work. 2 excuse,<br />

rationalization, justification, vindication: What is your<br />

explanation for such outrageous behaviour? 3 cause, motive,<br />

reason, key, signification, solution: The explanation for<br />

aberrant behaviour often lies in hormonal imbalance.<br />

explanatory<br />

adj. explanative, elucidative, revelatory, interpretive or<br />

interpretative, expository, descriptive; critical, exegetic(al):<br />

Please read the explanatory notes below.<br />

expletive adj. 1 wordy, verbose, prolix, repetitious, redundant,<br />

tautological, iterative, reiterative, pleonastic; unnecessary,<br />

unneeded, needless, unessential, non-essential, gratuitous,<br />

superfluous: Her speech is punctuated by expletive words and<br />

phrases, like 'like, you know', and so forth.<br />

--n. 2 oath, swear-word, curse, obscenity, epithet, Colloq<br />

cuss-word, dirty word, four-letter word: Expletives sometimes<br />

lend an air of naturalness to written dialogue. 3 filler,<br />

padding, redundancy, tautology, pleonasm: Some grammarians term<br />

the 'It' in 'It is raining' an expletive.<br />

explicit adj. 1 specific, categorical, (crystal-)clear, definite,<br />

well-defined, distinct, unambiguous, precise, exact,<br />

unequivocal, express, stated, plain, manifest, unmistakable,

Hooray! Your file is uploaded and ready to be published.

Saved successfully!

Ooh no, something went wrong!