explicit
Americanadjective
-
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
-
clearly developed or formulated.
explicit knowledge; explicit belief.
-
definite and unreserved in expression; outspoken.
He was quite explicit as to what he expected us to do for him.
- Synonyms:
- unabashed, forthright, open
-
having sexual acts or nudity clearly depicted.
explicit movies; explicit books.
-
Mathematics. (of a function) having the dependent variable expressed directly in terms of the independent variables, as y = 3 x + 4.
adjective
-
precisely and clearly expressed, leaving nothing to implication; fully stated
explicit instructions
-
graphically detailed, leaving little to the imagination
sexually explicit scenes
-
openly expressed without reservations; unreserved
-
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
Other Word Forms
- explicitly adverb
- explicitness noun
- overexplicit adjective
- quasi-explicit adjective
- superexplicit adjective
- unexplicit adjective
Etymology
Origin of explicit
First recorded in 1605–15; from Latin explicitus “unfolded, set forth,” variant past participle of explicāre; explicate
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Polanski and the party's new MP, Hannah Spencer, were explicit that they do not see this as a self-contained local contest but as the blueprint for all sorts of other parts of the country.
From BBC
Yes, as the court found, Congress should speak in more explicit terms.
“The entire Texas delegation, as well as every single other Member of Congress, should be condemning a sitting Member of Congress asking for explicit photos of their staff,” Luna said in a social media post.
From Salon
That figure doesn’t include individuals who may use AI tools without their company’s explicit permission.
What it requires instead are more explicit rules on corruption, stronger political parties and greater confidence in voters’ ability to judge the extent of others’ influence when it is brought into the open.
From MarketWatch
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
