explicit

[ ik-splis-it ]

adjective

1. fully and clearly expressed or demonstrated; leaving nothing merely implied; unequivocal:

   explicit instructions; an explicit act of violence; explicit language.

   Synonyms: unambiguous, exact, precise, definite, express

   Antonyms: ambiguous, indefinite

2. clearly developed or formulated:

   explicit knowledge; explicit belief.

3. definite and unreserved in expression; outspoken:

   He was quite explicit as to what he expected us to do for him.

   Synonyms: unabashed, forthright, open

4. having sexual acts or nudity clearly depicted:

   explicit movies; explicit books.

5. Mathematics. (of a function) having the dependent variable expressed directly in terms of the independent variables, as y = 3 x + 4. Compare implicit ( def 4 ).

explicit

¹

/ ɪkˈsplɪsɪt /

adjective

1. precisely and clearly expressed, leaving nothing to implication; fully stated

   explicit instructions

2. graphically detailed, leaving little to the imagination

   sexually explicit scenes

3. openly expressed without reservations; unreserved
4. maths (of a function) having an equation of the form y=f ( x ), in which y is expressed directly in terms of x, as in y=x ⁴+ x + z Compare implicit

explicit

²

/ ɪkˈsplɪsɪt /

(no translation)

1. the end; an indication, used esp by medieval scribes, of the end of a book, part of a manuscript, etc

Derived Forms

• exˈplicitness, noun
• exˈplicitly, adverb

Other Words From

• ex·plic·it·ly adverb
• ex·plic·it·ness noun
• o·ver·ex·plic·it adjective
• qua·si-ex·plic·it adjective
• su·per·ex·plic·it adjective
• un·ex·plic·it adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of explicit¹

First recorded in 1605–15; from Latin explicitus “unfolded, set forth,” variant past participle of explicāre; explicate

Word History and Origins

Origin of explicit¹

C17: from Latin explicitus unfolded, from explicāre; see explicate

Origin of explicit²

Late Latin, probably short for explicitus est liber the book is unfolded (or complete); shortened by analogy with incipit

Example Sentences

In 2022, the court found that federal agencies cannot address "major questions" with broad economic or social impact without explicit congressional approval.

From Salon

He is known mainly for drawings of nudes and semi-nudes that can be unnervingly explicit, and he often appears in his own work.

From New York Times

It demonstrates high performance with significantly fewer training parameters and shorter run-time compared to the latest deep learning-based models and, of course, it also outperforms explicit deconvolution methods.

From Science Daily

Palestinian land was often described as "wilderness" or "desert," and the Zionist slogan "a land without a people for a people without a land," used as early as 1843, was entirely explicit.

From Salon

Kennedy has elevated threats to the livelihoods of scientists who have resisted his brand of balderdash from the implicit to the explicit.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• accurate
• categorical
• certain
• clear
• clear-cut
• correct
• definite
• definitive
• exact
• obvious
• positive
• precise
• straightforward
• unequivocal