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Origin and history of explicit

explicit(adj.)

1610s, "open to the understanding, not obscure or ambiguous," from French explicite, from Latin explicitus "unobstructed," variant past participle of explicare "unfold, unravel, explain," from ex "out" (see ex-) + plicare "to fold" (from PIE root *plek- "to plait").

As a euphemism for "pornographic" it dates from 1971 (phrases such as sexually explicit are earlier). Related: Explicitness. "Explicitus" was written at the end of medieval books, originally short for explicitus est liber "the book is unrolled."

also from 1610s

Entries linking to explicit

explicitly(adv.)

"plainly, without disguise or reservation of meaning, not by inference; clearly, unmistakably," 1630s, from explicit + -ly (2). Opposed to implicitly.

inexplicit(adj.)

1775 (implied in inexplicitly), from in- (1) "not, opposite of" + explicit. Or else from Latin inexplicitus "not to be unfolded; unexplained." Related: Inexplicitly; inexplicitness.

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Trends of explicit

adapted from books.google.com/ngrams/ with a 7-year moving average; ngrams are probably unreliable.

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implicit
1590s, "implied, resting on inference," from French implicite and directly from Latin implicitus, later variant of implicatus "entangled, confused, involved," past participle of implicare "entangle, involve," from assimilated form of in- "into, in, on, upon" (from PIE root *en "i
allusion
An allusion is never an outright or explicit mention of the person or thing the speaker seems to have in mind....
an
In other European languages, identity between the indefinite article and the word for "one" remains explicit (French un,...
out-
senses of out that extended into the use as a prefix include "beyond the surface or limits; to the utmost degree; to an explicit...
hamburger
Shortened form burger is attested from 1939; beefburger was attempted 1940, in an attempt to make the main ingredient more explicit...
plain
Sense of "explicit, clear, evident" is from late 14c.; that of "free from obstruction" is mid-14c.; meaning "simple, sincere...
psyche
By this more explicit separation of the intellectual and ethical activities from the physiological the conception of the...
solstice
"one of the two times of the year when the sun is at the greatest distance from the equator," mid-13c., from Old French solstice (13c.), from Latin solstitium "point at which the sun seems to stand still," especially the summer solstice, from sol "the sun" (from PIE root *sawel-
eerie
also eery, c. 1300, "timid, affected by superstitious fear," north England and Scottish variant of Old English earg "cowardly, fearful, wretched; slow, indolent, useless," from Proto-Germanic *arh- (source also of Old Frisian erg "evil, bad," Middle Dutch arch "bad," Dutch arg, O
shift
Middle English shiften, from Old English sciftan, scyftan "arrange, place, put in order" (a sense now obsolete), also "divide, separate, partition; distribute, allot, share" (now obsolete or provincial), from Proto-Germanic *skiftan (source also of Old Norse skipta "to divide, ch

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