Explicitize

Part of speech: verb

Pronunciation: /ɪkˈsplɪsɪˌtaɪz/

Definitions

1. To make something clear or fully expressed, removing any ambiguity
2. To state or present information in a direct and detailed way so that it is easily understood
3. To clarify or elaborate on a point so that its meaning is unmistakable

Etymology: "Explicitize" is a straightforward formation: it combines "explicit," from Latin "explicitus," meaning "unfolded" or "made plain," with the suffix "-ize," which turns a noun or adjective into a verb meaning "to make or cause to be" something. Put together, it means to make something explicit, which is how it is used today: to spell out a point so that no one can misread it. The base word carries the older story. "Explicit" comes from the Latin verb "explicare," literally "to unfold" or "to unroll," built from "ex-" ("out") and "plicare" ("to fold"). The image is of something folded up and then opened so its contents can be seen, and that sense of unfolding survives in the modern meaning of making a thing fully visible rather than hidden. The suffix "-ize" has its own route into English, coming through Latin "-izare" from Greek "-izein," and it has been used productively to form verbs for centuries. "Explicitize" follows that pattern, adding a verb to English that means to make something explicit.

Synonyms: clarify, make explicit

Antonyms: implicit