1. (n.) The act of explaining, expounding, or interpreting; the act of clearing from obscurity and making intelligible; as, the explanation of a passage in Scripture, or of a contract or treaty.

2. (n.) That which explains or makes clear; as, a satisfactory explanation.

3. (n.) The meaning attributed to anything by one who explains it; definition; interpretation; sense.

4. (n.) A mutual exposition of terms, meaning, or motives, with a view to adjust a misunderstanding, and reconcile differences; reconciliation; agreement; as, to come to an explanation.

abstraction accomplishment account allegorization analysis answer ascertainment body of theory case case in point cause clarification clearance clearing clearing up commentary construction cracking criticism decipherment decoding definition delineation demonstration demythologization denouement description destigmatization destigmatizing determination disclosure disentanglement doctrinairism doctrinality doctrinarity editing elucidation emblem emendation end end result enlightenment euhemerism example exculpation excuse exegesis exemplar exemplification explication exponent expose exposition expounding finding finding-out grounds illumination illustration instance interpretation issue justification key light meaning mere theory motive object lesson outcome pretense pretext purgation purging rational ground rationale rationalization reason reason why rehabilitation reinstatement relevant instance representative resolution resolving restoration result riddling signification simplification solution solving sorting out speculation stated cause symbol tentative explanation the big idea the idea the whatfor the wherefore the why theoretic theoretical basis theoretical structure theoretics theoria theoric theorization theory type typical example underlying reason unified theory unlocking unraveling unriddling unscrambling unspinning untangling untwisting unweaving upshot vindication working working-out