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demystification

demystification

1 5.6
Making a difficult idea easier to understand by explaining it clearly
  • noun
  • /ˌdiːˌmɪstɪfɪˈkeɪʃən/
translation icon : desmitificación
  • The teacher's explanation provided valuable demystification of the complex subject, making it accessible to all students.

Examples

  • With the liberalization, demystification, and purification of modern abstract painting, art has arrived at the point of becoming absolutely clear about what it is.

    Academic text (2014)
  • What is interesting is what happens after the by-now requisite demystification.

    Academic text (1991)
  • In particular, I want to thank you for your words on the need for demystification.

    Blog text (13)
  • Practical training was also useful in terms of what some referred to as the 'demystification of polities.'

    Academic text (2011)
  • One effect of this demystification of Rome is to make Rome a more suitable object of imitation for Florence.

    Academic text (1999)
  • Reflection often involves a process of demystification, defined by Matthew Jones as "the act of revealing the mechanisms of production responsible for creating the particular text" (277).

    Academic text (2014)
  • As Jameson writes, realism has long been associated with demystification and the "painful cancellation of tenaciously held illusions" (4).

    Academic text (2016)
  • Eisner's and McCloud's theoretical books are excellent examples of the demystification of comic art in general, but so are strips like Figure 1 and the annotated editions in book format where authors explain the process of production and postproduction.

    Academic text (2014)
  • The documentary aimed at the demystification of modern technology, breaking down difficult concepts into simpler terms.

  • His book is a thorough demystification of the stock market, clarifying how it operates for everyday investors.

Synonyms

explanation
vsdemystification
1.0

A statement that makes something clear or helps someone understand

is more about explaining to remove mystery rather than just informing
clarification
vsdemystification
62 3.3

An explanation that makes something easier to understand

focuses more on taking away mystery rather than just clarity
simplification
vsdemystification
13 3.6

Making something less complicated so it is easier to understand

relies on clear explanation rather than simplifying structure alone
illumination
vsdemystification
3 5.3

A clear explanation that makes something easier to understand

is more narrowly about making things less mysterious by clear explanation
explication
vsdemystification
  • Literature
2 8.1

A clear, detailed explanation that helps you understand a text or idea

is broader, using plain explanation to remove mystery rather than detail
elucidation
vsdemystification
  • Formal
1 6.5

An explanation that makes something clear and easy to understand

is focused on removing mystery by explaining things plainly
clarifying
vsdemystification
1 3.3

That helps people understand something more clearly

aims more at lifting mystery through direct explanation
disambiguation
vsdemystification
1 7.5

To make something clear by removing confusion about its meaning

seeks to remove mystery by clear explanation, not only ambiguity removal

Antonyms

obfuscation
  • Formal
12 8.7

Making something unclear or hard to understand on purpose

Making things confusing so people feel puzzled

How Clear

demystification
1 5.6
clarification
62 3.3
explanation
1.0

Surface Forms

Morphology

demystification = demystify (semi-transparent) = de + myst + ify + ation

This is a standard noun formation from the verb 'demystify', meaning the act or process of making something less mysterious.

Etymology

Demystification breaks into de- ('remove') and mystify, which comes from mystery ('secret' or 'something hard to understand'). So, demystification is the act of 'removing the mystery', explaining something clearly so it is easy to understand.