Explanatorily

Explanatorily is an adverb meaning in a manner that explains or is intended to explain. It describes a presentation, statement, or text that is designed to clarify a concept, process, or argument. In scholarly or instructional writing, explanatorily is used to signal that the primary purpose of a section or figure is to provide explanation rather than to persuade or summarize.

Etymology and form: The word is formed from the adjective explanatory, which derives from Latin explanatorius, from explanare to unfold or explain, with the English suffix -ory and the adverbial suffix -ly. The resulting adverb explanatorily therefore means “in an explanatory manner.”

Usage notes: Explanatorily tends to occur in formal or technical contexts. It can modify verbs or clauses, as in phrases like “presented explanatorily” or “explanatorily, the model is defined by...”. In many contexts, simpler phrasing such as “to explain” or “in an explanatory manner” may be preferred for readability. It is distinct from explanatory, which is an adjective, while explanatorily is the corresponding adverb.

See also: Explanatory, explanation, didactic, pedagogical.