Distinguishing Between Explain & Describe

Explain vs Describe

Both explain and describe are verbs with similar meanings, originating from Late Middle English, and are often used as synonyms. However, there is a difference between them. Derivatives of the word describe include describable and describer, while derivatives of the word explain include explainable and explainer.

What does Explain mean?

Explain is a verb that cannot be used with two objects, such as in the phrase ‘he explains him something’; the correct usage is ‘he explains something to him’. Explain often involves going into details, with its noun form being “explanation”. The preposition “of” is frequently used after the noun form, as in “explanation of”.

What does Describe mean?

Describe is a verb that involves detailed elucidation of points or salient features of an event or episode. Its noun form is “description”, which is also often followed by the preposition “of” in expressions like “description of”.

Key Takeaways

• Explain cannot be used with two objects and is often followed by the preposition ‘to’ immediately after an object.
• Explain involves going into details, while describe involves elucidation of features.
• The noun forms of explain and describe are “explanation” and “description”, respectively, both often followed by the preposition “of”.