C1adjectiveformalacademic
US/ɪkˈsplæn.ə.tɔːr.i/
UK/ɪkˈsplæn.ə.tər.i/
giving reasons or details that help to make something clear
In context
Each chart in the report comes with a short explanatory note.
Family income alone has limited explanatory power when predicting exam success.
The museum added explanatory texts so that visitors could follow the history.
Words that go with explanatory
adjective + noun
- explanatory noteAn explanatory note at the end defines the key terms.
- explanatory powerThe new model has much greater explanatory power than the old one.
- explanatory variableAge was the strongest explanatory variable in the study.
- explanatory textThe diagrams would be clearer with more explanatory text.
- explanatory factorParental education is a key explanatory factor in reading scores.