Explanation, n.
Etymology: [L. explanatio: cf. OF. esplanation.]
1. The act of explaining, expounding, or interpreting; the act of clearing from obscurity and making intelligible; as, the explanation of a passage in Scripture, or of a contract or treaty.
2. That which explains or makes clear; as, a satisfactory explanation.
3. The meaning attributed to anything by one who explains it; definition; inerpretation; sense. Different explanations [of the Trinity]. Bp. Burnet.
4. A mutual exposition of terms, meaning, or motives, with a view to adjust a misunderstanding, and reconcile differences; reconciliation; agreement; as, to come to an explanation.
1 more senses
Syn. -- Definition; description; explication; exposition; interpretation; detail. See Definition.
Shades of meaning
Fernald has no entry of its own for explanation; he lists it under definition.
Where he writes about it:
A definition is exact, an explanation general; a definition is formal, a description pictorial. — from definition
A definition must include all that belongs to the object defined, and exclude all that does not; a description may include only some general features; an explanation may simply throw light upon some point of special difficulty. — from definition
Definition, explanation, exposition, and interpretation are ordinarily blended in a commentary, which may also include description. — from definition