Explain vs. Define

Explainverb

To make plain, manifest, or intelligible; to clear of obscurity; to illustrate the meaning of.

‘To explain a chapter of the Bible.’;

Defineverb

To determine with precision; to mark out with distinctness; to ascertain or exhibit clearly.

‘the defining power of an optical instrument’;

Explainverb

To give a valid excuse for some past behavior.

Defineverb

(obsolete) To settle, decide an argument etc.

Explainverb

(obsolete) To make flat, smooth out.

Defineverb

To express the essential nature of something.

‘I define myself as a techno-anarchist.’;

Explainverb

(obsolete) To unfold or make visible.

Defineverb

To state the meaning of a word, phrase, sign, or symbol.

‘The textbook defined speed as velocity divided by time.’;

Explainverb

To flatten; to spread out; to unfold; to expand.

‘The horse-chestnut is . . . ready to explain its leaf.’;

Defineverb

To describe, explain, or make definite and clear.

Explainverb

To make plain, manifest, or intelligible; to clear of obscurity; to expound; to unfold and illustrate the meaning of; as, to explain a chapter of the Bible.

‘Commentators to explain the difficult passages to you.’;

Defineverb

To demark sharply the outlines or limits of an area or concept.

‘to define the legal boundaries of a property’;

Explainverb

To give an explanation.

Defineverb

(mathematics) To establish the referent of a term or notation.

Explainverb

make palin and comprehensible;

‘He explained the laws of physics to his students’;

Definenoun

(programming) A kind of macro in source code that replaces one text string with another wherever it occurs.

Explainverb

define;

‘The committe explained their plan for fund-raising to the Dean’;

Defineverb

To fix the bounds of; to bring to a termination; to end.

Explainverb

serve as a reason or cause or justification of;

‘Your need to sleep late does not excuse your late arrival at work’; ‘Her recent divorce amy explain her reluctance to date again’;

Defineverb

To determine or clearly exhibit the boundaries of; to mark the limits of; as, to define the extent of a kingdom or country.

Explainverb

make (an idea or situation) clear to someone by describing it in more detail or revealing relevant facts

‘he explained the situation’; ‘‘It's a device of great age,’ the professor explained’; ‘they explained that their lives centred on the religious rituals’;

Defineverb

To determine with precision; to mark out with distinctness; to ascertain or exhibit clearly; as, the defining power of an optical instrument.

‘Rings . . . very distinct and well defined.’;

Explainverb

give a reason so as to justify or excuse (an action or event)

‘I explained about Maureen calling round’; ‘he makes athletes explain why they made a mistake’; ‘Cassie found it necessary to explain her blackened eye’;

Defineverb

To determine the precise signification of; to fix the meaning of; to describe accurately; to explain; to expound or interpret; as, to define a word, a phrase, or a scientific term.

‘They define virtue to be life ordered according to nature.’;

Explainverb

be the cause of or motivating factor for

‘this would explain why so many adult children still live with their parents’; ‘her father's violence explains her pacifism’;

Defineverb

To determine; to decide.

Explainverb

minimize the significance of an embarrassing fact or action by giving an excuse or justification

‘they know stories about me that I can't explain away’;

Defineverb

give a definition for the meaning of a word;

‘Define `sadness'’;

Defineverb

determine the essential quality of

Defineverb

determine the nature of;

‘What defines a good wine?’;

Defineverb

delineate the form or outline of;

‘The tree was clearly defined by the light’; ‘The camera could define the smallest object’;

Defineverb

state or describe exactly the nature, scope, or meaning of

‘the contract will seek to define the client's obligations’;

Defineverb

give the meaning of (a word or phrase), especially in a dictionary

‘the dictionary defines it as ‘a type of pasture’’;

Defineverb

make up or establish the character or essence of

‘for some, the football club defines their identity’;

Defineverb

mark out the boundary or limits of

‘the river defines the park's boundary’;

Defineverb

make clear the outline of; delineate

‘she defined her eyes by applying eyeshadow to her eyelids’;