explicable

adjective

ex·​pli·​ca·​ble ek-ˈspli-kə-bəl  ˈek-(ˌ)spli- 

: capable of being explained

explicably

ek-ˈspli-kə-blē 

ˈek-(ˌ)spli-

adverb

Synonyms

• answerable
• explainable
• resolvable
• soluble
• solvable

Examples of explicable in a Sentence

phenomena explicable by the laws of physics

the mystery of those strange noises became quite explicable once we realized that a colony of bats had taken up residence

Recent Examples on the Web

Some of them are horrendous but explicable, like Novak Djokovic beating Gael Monfils in all 20 of their meetings; Rafael Nadal’s 18-0 record against Richard Gasquet and Roger Federer’s 17-0 against David Ferrer. —Charlie Eccleshare, The Athletic, 22 Jan. 2025

Plot is set against a backdrop of police negligence in the late 1990s and follows a real-life account of a woman forced to request social housing due to explicable and dangerous occurrences in her own house. —Max Goldbart, Deadline, 20 Jan. 2025

That just makes how Núñez is feeling less explicable for the club. —Tim Britton, The Athletic, 29 Aug. 2024

As ever, the director stamps it all with his unique aesthetic preferences, which are very deliberate if not always explicable. —Dennis Harvey, Variety, 7 Aug. 2024

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from Middle French & Latin; Middle French, borrowed from Latin explicābilis "capable of being unraveled," from explicāre "to free from folds or creases, unroll, disentangle, spread out, set out in words" + + -bilis "capable (of acting) or worthy (of being acted upon)" — more at explicate, -able

First Known Use

1545, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

explicable

adjective

ex·​pli·​ca·​ble ek-ˈsplik-ə-bəl  ˈek-(ˌ)splik- 

: able to be explained

explicably

-blē 

adverb