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# explanation

noun (explanation, explanations)

«explanation» in the English dictionary: everyday and in Jewish tradition — its meanings, how the lessons use it, and examples, each with its tree on Mova.

## Everyday

1. An explanation is what you say or write to make something clear and easy to understand: an explanation of how plants grow. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/E/explanation/#m1)
2. An explanation is a reason given for something that happened: is there an explanation for why you are late? [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/E/explanation/#m2)

### In the lessons

At school, pupils write explanations (a genre in English: how or why something happens, with steps, «because», «so» and «therefore»); in maths, they must explain their working, not just give the answer; in science, they give explanations for results using evidence. In everyday life and manners, giving an honest explanation when you have done something wrong is better than excuses. Phrases: give an explanation, a clear explanation, explanation for, explanation of, no explanation.

### Examples

- The teacher gave a clear explanation of fractions. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/E/explanation/#x1)
- Can you give me an explanation for being late? [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/E/explanation/#x2)
- Write an explanation of how the water cycle works. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/E/explanation/#x3)
- There must be a simple explanation for the strange noise. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/E/explanation/#x4)
- In maths, show your working and an explanation. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/E/explanation/#x5)
- He left without any explanation. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/E/explanation/#x6)
- Scientists look for an explanation that fits the evidence. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/E/explanation/#x7)
- "Princess," exclaimed the nurse, "we cannot tell what you allude to without more explanation." [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/E/explanation/#x8)

### Note

Countable: explanations. Spelling trap: the verb is «explain» (with «ai»), but the noun is «explanation» (no «i»). Similar: reason; an «excuse» is a reason given to avoid blame, sometimes not true.

## In Jewish tradition

At school, pupils write explanations (a genre in English: how or why something happens, with steps, «because», «so» and «therefore»); in maths, they must explain their working, not just give the answer; in science, they give explanations for results using evidence. In everyday life and manners, giving an honest explanation when you have done something wrong is better than excuses. Phrases: give an explanation, a clear explanation, explanation for, explanation of, no explanation.

### Examples

- All the other commentaries mentioned above, together with all quotations of other expounders of the same book, contain nothing but a medley of arbitrary, mystical explanations and sophistical distortions of scriptural verses, astrological notions, oriental (Sefer Yetzirah, Kalisch 1877) [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/E/explanation/#x1)

### Note

Countable: explanations. Spelling trap: the verb is «explain» (with «ai»), but the noun is «explanation» (no «i»). Similar: reason; an «excuse» is a reason given to avoid blame, sometimes not true.

## On Mova

- [Trees and pragmatics of «explanation» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/E/explanation/): every meaning and example parsed by Mova, with its dependency tree and frames.
- [«explanation» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/w/explanation.html) on Mova free.
- [Trees and pragmatics of «explanation» in the Judaism dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/E/explanation/): every meaning and example parsed by Mova, with its dependency tree and frames.
- [«explanation» in the Judaism dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/judaism/w/explanation.html) on Mova free.