ELUCIDATE

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does elucidate mean? 

• ELUCIDATE (verb)
  The verb ELUCIDATE has 2 senses:

1. make clear and (more) comprehensible

2. make free from confusion or ambiguity; make clear

  Familiarity information: ELUCIDATE used as a verb is rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• ELUCIDATE (verb)

Present simple: I / you / we / they elucidate    ... he / she / it elucidates   
Past simple: elucidated   
Past participle: elucidated   
-ing form: elucidating   

Sense 1

Meaning:

Make clear and (more) comprehensible

Classified under:

Verbs of telling, asking, ordering, singing

Synonyms:

clarify; clear up; elucidate

Context example:

clarify the mystery surrounding her death

Hypernyms (to "elucidate" is one way to...):

explain; explicate (make plain and comprehensible)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "elucidate"):

demystify (make less mysterious or remove the mystery from)

clear; clear up; crystalise; crystalize; crystallise; crystallize; elucidate; enlighten; illuminate; shed light on; sort out; straighten out (make free from confusion or ambiguity; make clear)

dilate; elaborate; enlarge; expand; expatiate; exposit; expound; flesh out; lucubrate (add details, as to an account or idea; clarify the meaning of and discourse in a learned way, usually in writing)

disambiguate (state unambiguously or remove ambiguities from)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Something ----s something

Derivation:

elucidation (an interpretation that removes obstacles to understanding)

elucidation (an act of explaining that serves to clear up and cast light on)

elucidative (that makes clear)

lucidity (free from obscurity and easy to understand; the comprehensibility of clear expression)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Make free from confusion or ambiguity; make clear

Classified under:

Verbs of thinking, judging, analyzing, doubting

Synonyms:

clear; clear up; crystalise; crystalize; crystallise; crystallize; elucidate; enlighten; illuminate; shed light on; sort out; straighten out

Context example:

Clear up the question of who is at fault

Hypernyms (to "elucidate" is one way to...):

clarify; clear up; elucidate (make clear and (more) comprehensible)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something

Derivation:

elucidation (an interpretation that removes obstacles to understanding)

elucidation (an act of explaining that serves to clear up and cast light on)

elucidative (that makes clear)

lucidity (free from obscurity and easy to understand; the comprehensibility of clear expression)

lucidity (a lucid state of mind; not confused)

 Context examples 

Although the exact mechanism remains to be elucidated, mefloquine, a weak base, preferentially accumulates in lysosomes and disrupts lysosomal function and integrity, thereby leading to host cell death.

(Mefloquine, NCI Thesaurus)

The mechanism of action through which mitotenamine exerts its effect has yet to be fully elucidated.

(Mitotenamine, NCI Thesaurus)

The mechanism of action has not yet been fully elucidated but addition of glucosamine to chondrocytes results in inhibition of proteoglycan catabolism.

(MSM/Glucosamine, NCI Thesaurus)

This gene may play a role in the modulation of autocrine paracrine factor in reproductive tissues, however a specific function has not been elucidated.

(MSMB Gene, NCI Thesaurus)

This allele, which encodes chemokine receptor-like 1 protein, may play a role in chemotaxis and bone metabolism; however, an exact function has yet to be elucidated.

(CMKLR1 wt Allele, NCI Thesaurus)

The business, however, though not perfectly elucidated by this speech, soon ceased to be a puzzle.

(Northanger Abbey, by Jane Austen)

Upon imaging of the radioisotope, the distribution patterns and metabolism of phytoene can be further elucidated which may aid in the understanding of the bioactivity of this agent.

(Carbon C 13 Phytoene, NCI Thesaurus)

Upon imaging of the radioisotope, the distribution patterns and metabolism of phytofluene can be further elucidated which may aid in the understanding of the bioactivity of this agent.

(Carbon C 13 Phytofluene, NCI Thesaurus)

This allele, which encodes C-C chemokine receptor-like 2 protein, is involved in signal transduction and macrophage differentiation; however, an exact function has yet to be elucidated.

(CCRL2 wt Allele, NCI Thesaurus)

This allele, which encodes beta-microseminoprotein protein, may play a role in the modulation of autocrine paracrine factor in reproductive tissues, however a specific function has not been elucidated.

(MSMB wt Allele, NCI Thesaurus)