Splane

Splane is a slang verb in English used to describe the act of explaining something to someone in a manner perceived as condescending or patronizing. The term is often used in online discussions to label explanations that appear to assume the listener’s ignorance or to enforce a power dynamic. While closely related to mansplaining, splaning is typically presented as a gender-neutral phenomenon and can target any listener regardless of gender.

Etymology and forms: Splane derives from explain with the addition of the –splain morphology, echoing the pattern of mansplain. Earliest online citations appear in the 2000s, and the term has spawned variants such as splain, splaning, and splanation, which appear in different grammatical uses and contexts.

Usage and examples: As a verb, one might say, “He tried to splane the issue to me.” As a noun, “That was a patronizing splanation.” The gerund “splaning” describes the act, and “splain” can function as an independent form describing someone who splanes. The term is commonly found in discussions of tone, communication dynamics, and perceived hierarchy in conversation.

Reception and context: In internet culture, splane is a pejorative label used to critique tone rather than factual content. It is frequently invoked in debates about gender and power, though some critics caution against overusing the term to pathologize all corrective explanations as condescending.

See also: mansplaining, explain, condescension, discourse analysis.