a. and sb. [f. as prec. + -ORY.] A. adj.
1. Serving or adapted to explain (something), containing or helping to an explanation. Const. of. Explanatory Act: an Act of Parliament passed to explain the meaning, drift or application of a previous Act.
1618. Bolton, Florus, To Rdr. 2. The words … here and there inserted in a different letter … are for the most part explanatory of the Authors meaning.
1672. Essex Papers (Camden), I. 1. Ye seaven yeers granted for it, in ye Explanatory Act, are neere Expired.
1753. Hogarth, Anal. Beauty, Introd. 1. I now offer to the public a short essay, accompanied with two explanatory prints.
1856. Froude, Hist. Eng. (1858), II. ix. 326. To guard against misconception, an explanatory document was drawn up by the government.
1883. Proctor, in Knowledge, 7 Sept., 156/1. I feel tempted to lay down in despair the explanatory pen.
2. Of persons, their qualities, etc.: Having the function of explaining, disposed or ready to give explanation.
1743. Walpole, Lett. H. Mann (1834), I. lxxxix. 313. I find you still overwhelmed with Richcourt’s folly and the Admiral’s explanatory ignorance.
1756. Foote, Eng. fr. Paris, I. Wks. 1799, I. 96. The law is an oracular idol, you are explanatory ministers.
1848. Dickens, Dombey, vi. 59. He rendered himself as explanatory as he could.
† B. sb. = EXPLANATION 2. Obs.
1650. R. Hollingworth, Exerc. conc. Usurped Powers, 49. This may be the best explanatorie of that.
Hence Explanatorily adv. Explanatoriness, the quality of being explanatory.
1865. Dickens, Mut. Fr., I. xii. The city which Mr. Podsnap so explanatorily called ‘London, Londres.’
1870. Miss Broughton, Red as Rose, I. 208. Miss Craven has had a fall … he remarks explanatorily.
1730–6. Bailey (folio), Explanatoriness.
1850. Eng. Rev., XIII. 456. A commentator’s explanatoriness of tone.
1885. Voices crying in Wilderness, iv. 119. A sort of general explanatoriness that seemed intended to check further questions.
