Meaning & use

elucidate

verb·Advanced

To make something clearer by explaining it in more detail.

See it in a sentence

The professor paused to elucidate a difficult passage before moving on.

Could you elucidate what you mean by that last comment?

A note on using this word

Elucidate is formal and academic in tone, more common in writing and lectures than in casual conversation.

Words with a similar meaning

Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.

Words with an opposite meaning

confuseobscure

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