Standard Lemma guide

self-explanatory

adj · 2 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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No pronunciation record was provided for this word.

1

adj

Meaning 1

Obvious, having a nature that makes it clear or that explains itself.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: un-self-explanatory

2

adjective satellite

Meaning 2

needing no explanation

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *swé? Proto-Indo-European *selbh-der. Proto-Germanic *selbaz Old English self Old English self- Middle English self- English self- English explanatory English self-explanatory From self- + explanatory.

Across languages

Translations

35 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Arabic: مُفَسِّر نَفْسَهُ بِنَفْسِهِ (mufassir nafsahu binafsihi) — explaining itself
  • Arabic: مَفْهُوم بِذَاتِهِ (mafhūm biḏātihi) — explaining itself
  • Arabic: لَا يَتَطَلَّبُ تَفْسِيرًا (lā yataṭallabu tafsīran) — explaining itself
  • Bulgarian: очевиден (očeviden) — explaining itself
  • Czech: všeříkající — explaining itself
  • Czech: samozřejmý — explaining itself
  • Czech: očividný — explaining itself
  • Dutch: vanzelfsprekend — explaining itself
  • Dutch: zelfverklarend — explaining itself
  • Dutch: voor zich sprekend — explaining itself
  • Dutch: zich vanzelf wijzend — explaining itself
  • Finnish: itsestään selvä — explaining itself
  • Finnish: itsensä selittävä — explaining itself
  • French: évident — explaining itself
  • French: qui se passe d'explication — explaining itself
  • French: qui va de soi — explaining itself
  • German: selbsterklärend — explaining itself
  • German: selbstverständlich — explaining itself
  • Hebrew: מוּבָן מֵאֵלָיו (muván me'eláv) — explaining itself
  • Hungarian: nyilvánvaló — explaining itself
  • Hungarian: kézenfekvő — explaining itself
  • Hungarian: egyértelmű — explaining itself
  • Hungarian: magától értetődő — explaining itself
  • Indonesian: swatafsir — explaining itself
  • Italian: autoesplicativo — explaining itself
  • Italian: intuitivo — explaining itself
  • Polish: oczywisty — explaining itself
  • Polish: zrozumiały samo przez się — explaining itself
  • Portuguese: autoexplicativo — explaining itself
  • Portuguese: intuitivo — explaining itself
  • Russian: говоря́щий (govorjáščij) — explaining itself
  • Russian: самоочеви́дный (samoočevídnyj) — explaining itself
  • Russian: я́сный (jásnyj) — explaining itself
  • Spanish: autoexplicativo — explaining itself
  • Spanish: autoexplicador — explaining itself