self-explainingadj.
/ˌsɛlfᵻkˈspleɪnɪŋ/, /ˌsɛlfɛkˈspleɪnɪŋ/, U.S. /ˌsɛlfɪkˈspleɪnɪŋ/, /ˌsɛlfɛkˈspleɪnɪŋ/ Able to be understood without explanation; that explains itself, self-explanatory.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > mental capacity > intelligibility > meaning > explanation, exposition > [adjective] > self-explanatory
self-explained1726
self-explanatory1737
self-explaining1821
1821 E. Cobb (title) A self-explaining grammar, of the English language.
1891 F. H. Teall Compounding Eng. Words ii. 37 Among other words which are not entered are..color-triangle, color-variation, color-variety—all terms which are not self-explaining.
1903 J. Joyce Let. 9 Mar. (1966) II. 35 I enclose you self-explaining documents.
1932 Philosophy 7 329 Society is therefore neither self-sufficing nor self-explaining, so the search must continue beneath social acquisitions.
1967 E. B. Jenkinson What is Lang.? 111 The Standard College Dictionary lists 1074 words beginning with non- that are ‘self-explaining’.
2004 D. Böhnke Shades of Gray i. 21 The use of quotation marks around the terms ‘postmodern’ and ‘postmodernism’ above indicates a hesitation to see them as..self-explaining concepts.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, January 2018; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
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adj.1821