What does explanatory mean?
Explanatory is an adjective used to describe something whose purpose is to explain or clarify. An explanatory note, for instance, supplies background information that makes a document easier to understand, while an explanatory statement sets out the reasoning behind a decision or action. The word carries a neutral, often formal connotation and is especially at home in academic, legal, journalistic, and technical contexts, where precision and clarity are valued. It commonly pairs with nouns such as notes, text, section, model, or power (as in 'a theory's explanatory power,' meaning its capacity to account for phenomena). Beyond everyday usage, explanatory has gained prominence in philosophy of science and philosophy of mind, where phrases such as 'the explanatory gap' mark genuine puzzles about whether certain facts can ever be fully explained. Derived from Latin roots meaning to unfold or make plain, the word ultimately points toward transparency: whatever is explanatory works to remove confusion.
adjectiveServing or intended to explain something; providing clarification or reasons for a statement, action, or situation.
- Serving to explain; giving clarifying information or justification (e.g. explanatory notes, an explanatory statement).
"The report included an explanatory note defining the technical terms used throughout."
"Each chart in the annual report was accompanied by an explanatory paragraph."
"Her tone was calm and explanatory rather than defensive when questioned about the delay."
The phrase 'the explanatory gap' — coined by philosopher Joseph Levine in 1983 — names one of the deepest puzzles in the study of consciousness: why physical facts about the brain don't seem to explain what it feels like to experience anything.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of explanatory
Explanatory derives from the Late Latin explanatorius, formed on the verb explanare, meaning 'to make plain, flatten, or explain,' which itself combines ex- ('out') with planus ('flat, level, clear'). English adopted the word in the early 17th century, alongside related forms such as explanation and explain, all tracing back to that same Latin root. Its core imagery — flattening something out until it can be plainly seen — survives in the modern sense of making complex things clear.
Related word forms
How explanatory is actually used
Explanatory is neutral to slightly formal in register and appears most often in academic, legal, journalistic, and technical writing. It typically precedes the noun it modifies (explanatory notes, an explanatory section) but can follow linking verbs (the appendix is largely explanatory). In philosophy of mind, 'the explanatory gap' carries a specialized technical sense.
Easily confused with explanatory
An expletive is a swear word or meaningless filler, while explanatory describes something that explains.