Explicable

Part of speech: adjective

Pronunciation: /ɪkˈsplɪkəbəl/

Definitions

1. Capable of being rationalized or made comprehensible through explanations or logical arguments
2. Able to be made clear or understandable through reasoning or detailed description
3. Having the quality that allows something to be clarified or accounted for in a way that makes sense

Etymology: The Latin verb "explicare" meant to unfold or spread out, as when a folded cloth is opened, and it later took on the sense of unfolding an idea until it became clear. The adjective "explicable", built on the Latin "explicabilis", passed into English through Middle French, and it carries that same logic of unfolding: something explicable is something that can be opened up and laid out until its workings make sense. The word's sense has held steady over the centuries, which makes it a useful contrast with its opposite, "inexplicable". The prefix "in-" simply negates the adjective, so the inexplicable is whatever resists unfolding. Both words sit on the same Latin stem, "plicare" (to fold) with the prefix "ex-" (out), so the physical image of a folded object opening up is still embedded in their structure.

Synonyms: explainable, accountable, understandable, comprehensible, justifiable

Antonyms: inexplicable, unexplainable, mysterious, ambiguous, confusing