Nearby Words

explanatory

[ik-splan-uh-tawr-ee, -tohr-ee] Origin

ex·plan·a·to·ry

[ik-splan-uh-tawr-ee, -tohr-ee]
adjective
serving to explain: an explanatory footnote.
Also, ex·plan·a·tive.


Origin:
1610–20; < Late Latin explānātōrius. See explain, -tory1

ex·plan·a·to·ri·ly, ex·plan·a·tive·ly, adverb
non·ex·plan·a·tive, adjective
non·ex·plan·a·to·ry, adjective
pre·ex·plan·a·to·ry, adjective
un·ex·plan·a·to·ry, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
Cite This Source Link To explanatory

:10

:09

:08

:07

:06

:05

:04

:03

:02

:01

Explanatory has a plethora of syllables.
So is floccinaucinihilipilification. Does it mean:
the estimation of something as valueless (encountered mainly as an example of one of the longest words in the English language).
given to using long words.
Collins
World English Dictionary
explanatory or explanative (ɪkˈsplænətərɪ, -trɪ)
 
adj
serving or intended to serve as an explanation
 
explanative or explanative
 
adj
 
ex'planatorily or explanative
 
adv

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
Cite This Source
Etymonline
Word Origin & History

explanatory
1610s, from explanation + -ory; on model of L. explanatorius "having to do with an explanation."
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
Cite This Source
Dictionary.com, LLC. Copyright © 2012. All rights reserved.
  • Please Login or Sign Up to use the Recent Searches feature