Clarification

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ˌklæɹɪfɪˈkeɪʃən/

Definitions

1. A statement or explanation that makes something easier to understand by removing confusion or ambiguity
2. An explanation that helps to resolve confusion by making a subject easier to understand and clarifying intricate details or distinctions
3. A clear explanation that eliminates uncertainty and enhances understanding by delineating complex concepts or issues

Etymology: The English noun "clarification" was borrowed from Middle French, which had taken it from the Latin "clārificātiō," a noun built from "clārificāre," meaning "to make clear" or "to make bright." That verb combines "clārus," meaning "clear" or "bright," with the suffix "-ficāre," from "facere," "to make," so the word is literally an act of making something clear. The same root gave English "clarify" and "clarity." The Latin noun's original sense was physical and visual. Roman writers used "clārificāre" for making things shine or brightening light, and its meaning moved toward the mental sense of making a matter understandable only gradually. The modern sense of an explanation that removes confusion is the result of that shift from brightness to understanding.

Synonyms: explanation, elucidation, interpretation, clarity, illumination

Antonyms: confusion, ambiguity, obscurity, misunderstanding