Meanings
elucidate1
present singular third person elucidates · participle present elucidating · participle past elucidated · past elucidated · first person past singular elucidated · archaic present second person singular elucidatest · past second person singular elucidated · archaic past second person singular elucidatedst · present singular third person elucidates · archaic present singular third person elucidateth · past singular third person elucidated · past plural elucidated · past subjunctive elucidated · participle present elucidating · participle past elucidated
- figurativelytransitiveTo make (something) clear and understandable; to clarify, to illuminate, to shed light on.
Peter elucidateth the Frauds in Literature by a Smock Race.
1812, Peter Pindar [pseudonym; John Wolcot], “Nil Admirari; or, A Smile at a Bishop; […]. Argument.”, in The Works of Peter Pindar, Esq. […], new edition, volume IV, London: […] J[ohn] Walker, G. Wilkie and J. Robinson, G. Robinson, […]; and G. Goulding and Co. […], →OCLC, page 2725 more examples
Let me hear vvhat your ovvn conceptions are of the matter, if they tend to elucidate or reconcile.
1675, Richard Baxter, “The Second Book. The Fifth Days Conference with an Arminian of Mans Natural Sinfulness and Impotency to Good, and of Free-will.”, in Richard Baxter’s Catholick Theologie: […], London: […] Robert White, for Nevill Simmons […], →OCLC, page 88Dining at Mr. [Samuel] Pepys's, Dr. Slayer shewed us an experiment of a wonderful nature, […] This matter or phosphorus was made out of human blood and urine, elucidating the vital flame or heate in animal bodys.
1685 December 22 (Gregorian calendar), John Evelyn, “[Diary entry for 13 December 1685]”, in William Bray, editor, Memoirs, Illustrative of the Life and Writings of John Evelyn, […], 2nd edition, volume I, London: Henry Colburn, […]; and sold by John and Arthur Arch, […], published 1819, →OCLC, page 620The antiquities of France have been elucidated by a learned and ingenious people: […]
a. 1795 (date written), Edward Gibbon, “An Address, &c.”, in John Lord Sheffield [i.e., John Baker Holroyd, 1st Earl of Sheffield], editor, Miscellaneous Works of Edward Gibbon, Esquire. […], volume II, London: […] A[ndrew] Strahan, and T[homas] Cadell Jun. and W[illiam] Davies, (successors to Mr. [Thomas] Cadell), […], published 1796, →OCLC, page 712The business however, though not perfectly elucidated by this speech, soon ceased to be a puzzle.
1803 (date written), [Jane Austen], chapter XIII, in Northanger Abbey; published in Northanger Abbey: And Persuasion. […], volume I, London: John Murray, […], 20 December 1817 (indicated as 1818), →OCLC, page 237His notes abound with interesting quotations, and have the rare merit of really elucidating the text.
1825 August, Thomas Babington Macaulay, “[John] Milton. […]”, in Critical and Historical Essays, Contributed to the Edinburgh Review. […], 2nd edition, volume I, London: […] Longman, Brown, Green, and Longmans, […], published 1843, →OCLC, page 2
elucidate2
comparative more elucidate · superlative most elucidate
- obsoletetransitiveClear, understandable.
1 more example
There vvas not a greater Maſter of Perſpicuity, and elucidate Diſtinctions; vvhich look'd the better in his [John Williams'] Engliſh, that ran ſvveet upon his Tongue, eſpecially being ſet out vvith a graceful Facetiouſneſs, that hit the joint of the Matter: For his VVit, and his Judgment, never parted.
a. 1671 (date written), John Hacket, Scrinia Reserata: A Memorial Offer’d to the Great Deservings of John Williams, D.D. […], part I, In the Savoy [London]: […] Edw[ard] Jones, for Samuel Lowndes, […], published 1693, →OCLC, paragraph 46, page 39Synonyms: apparent, arrant, undoubted, glaring, bait, blatant, clear, clear as a bell · Antonyms: adiaphanous, nontransparent, opacous, opacular, opaque, thick
Synonyms & antonyms
verbTo make (something) clear and understandable; to clarify, to illuminate, to shed light on.
adjectiveClear, understandable.
More synonyms by meaning
verbmake free from confusion or ambiguity; make clear
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
elucidate · verb
- Proto-Indo-European*lewk-“bright; to see; to shine”
- Late Latinēlūcidātus
- Englishelucidate
From Late Latin ēlūcidātus, perfect passive participle of ēlūcidō (“to lighten, enlighten”) (see -ate (verb-forming suffix)), from ē(x)- (“out, from”) + lūcidus (“bright, clear, understandable”) + -ō (first conjugation verb-forming suffix), literally “to make light of (something)”, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *lewk- (“bright; to see; to shine”). Compare French élucider.
More words from Late Latin, Proto-Indo-European
Full word history & related roots →elucidate · adjective
- Late Latinēlūcidātus“lightened, enlightened”
- Englishelucidate
From Late Latin ēlūcidātus (“lightened, enlightened”), see Etymology 1 and -ate (adjective-forming suffix) for more.
More words from Late Latin
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Bulgarian разяснявам
- разяснявам (razjasnjavam)to make (something) clear and understandable — see also clarify, illuminate, dilucidate
Catalan dilucidar
- dilucidarto make (something) clear and understandable — see also clarify, illuminate, dilucidate
Chinese Cantonese 解釋 /解释, 說明 /说明
- 解釋 /解释 (gaai² sik¹)to make (something) clear and understandable — see also clarify, illuminate, dilucidate
- 說明 /说明 (syut³ ming⁴)to make (something) clear and understandable — see also clarify, illuminate, dilucidate
- 闡明 /阐明 (zin² ming⁴)to make (something) clear and understandable — see also clarify, illuminate, dilucidate
- 闡釋 /阐释 (zin² sik¹)to make (something) clear and understandable — see also clarify, illuminate, dilucidate
Chinese Mandarin 闡明 /阐明, 解釋 /解释
- 闡明 /阐明 (chǎnmíng)to make (something) clear and understandable — see also clarify, illuminate, dilucidate
- 解釋 /解释 (jiěshì)to make (something) clear and understandable — see also clarify, illuminate, dilucidate
- 說明 /说明 (shuōmíng)to make (something) clear and understandable — see also clarify, illuminate, dilucidate
Czech ozřejmit
- ozřejmitto make (something) clear and understandable — see also clarify, illuminate, dilucidate
Danish uddybe
- uddybeto make (something) clear and understandable — see also clarify, illuminate, dilucidate
Dutch clarificeren, uitleggen
- clarificerento make (something) clear and understandable — see also clarify, illuminate, dilucidate
- uitleggento make (something) clear and understandable — see also clarify, illuminate, dilucidate
- verduidelijkento make (something) clear and understandable — see also clarify, illuminate, dilucidate
- verhelderento make (something) clear and understandable — see also clarify, illuminate, dilucidate
- verklarento make (something) clear and understandable — see also clarify, illuminate, dilucidate
Finnish havainnollistaa, selventää
- havainnollistaato make (something) clear and understandable — see also clarify, illuminate, dilucidate
- selventääto make (something) clear and understandable — see also clarify, illuminate, dilucidate
- valaistato make (something) clear and understandable — see also clarify, illuminate, dilucidate
French élucider, expliquer
- éluciderto make (something) clear and understandable — see also clarify, illuminate, dilucidate
- expliquerto make (something) clear and understandable — see also clarify, illuminate, dilucidate
German erklären, erläutern
- erklärento make (something) clear and understandable — see also clarify, illuminate, dilucidate
- erläuternto make (something) clear and understandable — see also clarify, illuminate, dilucidate
- verdeutlichento make (something) clear and understandable — see also clarify, illuminate, dilucidate
Hebrew ביאר \ בֵּאֵר, פירש \ פֵּרֵשׁ
- ביאר \ בֵּאֵר (be'ér)to make (something) clear and understandable — see also clarify, illuminate, dilucidate
- פירש \ פֵּרֵשׁ (perésh)to make (something) clear and understandable — see also clarify, illuminate, dilucidate
Hungarian értelmez, kifejt
- értelmezto make (something) clear and understandable — see also clarify, illuminate, dilucidate
- kifejtto make (something) clear and understandable — see also clarify, illuminate, dilucidate
- megmagyarázto make (something) clear and understandable — see also clarify, illuminate, dilucidate
- megvilágítto make (something) clear and understandable — see also clarify, illuminate, dilucidate
- tisztázto make (something) clear and understandable — see also clarify, illuminate, dilucidate
- világossá/érthetővé teszto make (something) clear and understandable — see also clarify, illuminate, dilucidate
Italian chiarire, delucidare
- chiarireto make (something) clear and understandable — see also clarify, illuminate, dilucidate
- delucidareto make (something) clear and understandable — see also clarify, illuminate, dilucidate
Māori whakamahuki, whakamāori
- whakamahukito make (something) clear and understandable — see also clarify, illuminate, dilucidate
- whakamāorito make (something) clear and understandable — see also clarify, illuminate, dilucidate
- whakamāramato make (something) clear and understandable — see also clarify, illuminate, dilucidate
- whakapūahoto make (something) clear and understandable — see also clarify, illuminate, dilucidate
Norwegian klargjøre
- klargjøreto make (something) clear and understandable — see also clarify, illuminate, dilucidate
Persian روشن کردن
- روشن کردن (rovšan kardan)to make (something) clear and understandable — see also clarify, illuminate, dilucidate
Polish objaśniać, wyjaśniać
- objaśniaćto make (something) clear and understandable — see also clarify, illuminate, dilucidate
- wyjaśniaćto make (something) clear and understandable — see also clarify, illuminate, dilucidate
- wyświetlaćto make (something) clear and understandable — see also clarify, illuminate, dilucidate
Portuguese elucidar, esclarecer
- elucidarto make (something) clear and understandable — see also clarify, illuminate, dilucidate
- esclarecerto make (something) clear and understandable — see also clarify, illuminate, dilucidate
Russian разъясня́ть
- разъясня́ть (razʺjasnjátʹ)to make (something) clear and understandable — see also clarify, illuminate, dilucidate
Spanish elucidar
- elucidarto make (something) clear and understandable — see also clarify, illuminate, dilucidate
Swedish belysa, förklara
- belysato make (something) clear and understandable — see also clarify, illuminate, dilucidate
- förklarato make (something) clear and understandable — see also clarify, illuminate, dilucidate
- kasta ljus överto make (something) clear and understandable — see also clarify, illuminate, dilucidate
- klargörato make (something) clear and understandable — see also clarify, illuminate, dilucidate
Turkish aydınlatmak, açığa çıkarmak
- aydınlatmakto make (something) clear and understandable — see also clarify, illuminate, dilucidate
- açığa çıkarmakto make (something) clear and understandable — see also clarify, illuminate, dilucidate
Cite this entry
elucidate. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/elucidate
“elucidate.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/elucidate. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “elucidate,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/elucidate.
Source: elucidate on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.