A detailed explanation or interpretation, especially of a text or theory. The act of making something clear through careful analysis and exposition.
From Latin explicare, meaning 'to unfold or unroll.' Ancient Romans wrote on scrolls that had to be unfolded to be read. The metaphor evolved to mean 'unfolding' the meaning of complex ideas.
Think of explication as 'unfolding' meaning like unfolding a map - you're taking something complex and spreading it out so every detail is visible. Literary critics write explications to unfold layers of meaning in poems.
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