What's the difference between explicit and implicit meaning?

Explicit = obvious meaning. Implicit = unobvious meaning. So if something was explicit in a text, it means that the information is clearly stated for you. E.g. Josh was wearing a blue, woolly hat yesterday morning. The colour of his hat is explicit information that we have learnt. However, implicit information is what we are not told but we can guess. E.g. Josh was wearing a blue, woolly hat yesterday morning. We could guess that it was cold yesterday morning because Josh is wearing a blue, woolly hat. The sentence doesn't tell us this information directly, but we know that when it's cold, people often wear warm, woolly hats. So explicit is something we KNOW, implicit is something that is SUGGESTED.

SH
Answered by Sophie H. English tutor

17288 Views

See similar English GCSE tutors

Related English GCSE answers

All answers ▸

Discuss the theme of desire in a play you have studied.


How is the theme of violence portrayed in Shakespeare's 'A Midsummer Night's Dream'?


'Using the speech in Act 1 Scene 7, explain how far you think Shakespeare presents Macbeth as an upstanding member of society'


How should I plan an essay?


We're here to help

contact us iconContact ustelephone icon+44 (0) 203 773 6020
Facebook logoInstagram logoLinkedIn logo

© MyTutorWeb Ltd 2013–2025

Terms & Conditions|Privacy Policy
Cookie Preferences