elucidated

Elucidated is the past tense and past participle of the verb elucidate. It denotes that something has been explained clearly, removing obscurity from a subject, argument, or process. In English, elucidated is most at home in formal or academic writing where precision of explanation is valued.

Etymology: The word derives from Latin elucidare “to make clear,” from ex- “out” + lucere “to shine,” reflecting the metaphor of bringing light to a matter. The form shares its root with lucid and illumination.

Usage: As a verb, elucidated appears in phrases such as “The lecturer elucidated the mechanism” or “The theory is elucidated by recent experiments.” Used as an adjective, it can describe findings or explanations that have been clarified (“elucidated data”), though more common alternatives are “clarified” or “explained.” In many contexts, writers favor simpler terms to enhance accessibility.

Related terms: The noun elucidation refers to the act of elucidating. Adjectives such as elucidatory and elucidative indicate something that serves to elucidate. While elucidated is precise, it is often reserved for formal writing; in everyday usage, synonyms like clarified, explained, or made clear are typically preferred.