The word "explains" is the third person singular form of the verb "explain" in English. It means to make something clear or understandable by giving details, reasons, or examples about it. For example, "The teacher explains the difficult concept to the students." means the teacher is making the difficult concept clear to the students.
Now, let's look at some synonyms of "explains":
- Clarifies: This verb also means to make something clearer or easier to understand. When you clarify something, you remove any confusion or ambiguity surrounding it. For instance, "The speaker clarifies the main points of the presentation" is similar to saying the speaker makes the main points of the presentation more understandable, just like when someone explains something. So, "clarifies" can often be used interchangeably with "explains" in many contexts.
- Interprets: When you interpret something, you are explaining the meaning or significance of it, usually based on your understanding or some set of rules or knowledge. For example, "The translator interprets the foreign language text" means the translator is explaining what the foreign language text means in another language. It's a bit different from a straightforward "explain" in that it often involves understanding and presenting the meaning in a particular way, but it still has the essence of making something understandable, much like "explains".
- Illustrates: While "illustrates" originally means to provide pictures or examples to make something visible or more vivid, it can also imply making something clearer in a more visual or practical sense. For example, "The book illustrates the scientific theory with real-life examples" is showing how the book is using examples to make the scientific theory more understandable, which is somewhat related to explaining the theory. So, in some cases, "illustrates" can function as a synonym for "explains" when the focus is on making something clear through examples or visual aids.
- Elucidates: This is a more formal word that means to make something very clear and understandable by providing detailed explanations. For example, "The expert elucidates the complex issue in great detail" implies that the expert is going through the complex issue carefully and making it completely clear, much like when one explains something thoroughly. "Elucidates" is often used in more academic or technical writing where a very precise and detailed explanation is needed, similar to what "explains" does but perhaps with a more formal tone.
In summary, these words - clarifies, interprets, illustrates, and elucidates - are all synonyms of "explains" to some extent, although their specific usage may vary depending on the context and the nature of what is being made clear or understandable.