planationlike

Plaininglike is an adjective used in discourse analysis and rhetoric to describe statements or passages that resemble explanations but do not meet criteria for rigorous justification. A plaininglike segment typically outlines causes, steps, or mechanisms in a schematic form and uses perceived plausibility or authority rather than explicit evidence.

Origin and usage: The term is a modern coinage formed from explanation plus -like. It has appeared in a limited set of scholarly and online discussions, often in critique of how some science communication or policy-focused texts present explanations that rely on intuitive reasoning or unspecified data. Because there is no formal consensus on its definition, its exact boundaries vary by author.

Properties and examples: A plaininglike move may include causal claims, generalities, or appeal to domain knowledge without detailing underlying assumptions, data, or methods. Example: “We observe a drop in temperature, so the system stabilizes because of diffusion—this is a plaininglike explanation; it omits experimental controls and quantitative results.” In contrast, a robust explanation would specify data, model, and uncertainty.

Relation to other terms: It is related to concepts such as heuristic explanation, narrative explanation, and rhetorical persuasion; it is sometimes used to critique explanations that feel persuasive but lack verifiability.