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Glite Dictionary
opaque explanation

opaque explanation

8.8
A statement that is hard to understand and makes people confused
  • noun
  • /oʊˈpeɪk ɪkˈspləneɪʃən/
translation icon : explicación opaca
  • She grew frustrated with his opaque explanation of the technical details.

Examples

  • An opaque explanation can make simple things seem much more complicated than they are.

  • This is an opaque explanation.

  • The professor's opaque explanation left many students feeling confused about the topic.

  • Can you provide a clearer explanation instead of this opaque explanation?

  • The teacher gave an opaque explanation of the complex theory, leaving the students confused.

  • Despite her efforts, her opaque explanation of the rules made it hard for the new players to follow.

  • He struggled to grasp the topic after the professor's opaque explanation during the lecture.

How Clear

clear
∞ 1.0
opaque explanation
8.8

Surface Forms

opaque explanation singular
opaque explanations plural

Morphology

opaque + explanation

The meaning 'an explanation that is difficult to understand' is directly and transparently derived from combining 'opaque' (unclear) with 'explanation' (an account), so a learner who knows both words can infer the compound meaning. This adjective + noun compositional pattern is straightforward and cross-linguistically common, making it immediately comprehensible to a B1 learner.

Etymology

Opaque explanation comes from the image of opaque as something you cannot see through, like a window covered in fog, and explanation as the words someone uses; imagine the meaning hidden behind that fog. So, the phrase means 'difficult to understand' or 'unclear' today.