As explicit, we call something that is expressed or communicated in a clear and precise way, without ambiguities or inaccuracies. It is something that is clear, clear or obvious. The word, as such, comes from the Latin explicĭtus. It is explicit, for example, a message that clearly conveys its meaning and intention, without hiding anything, without ulterior motives or tricky rhetoric.
When we communicate we have a certain intention. Therefore, sometimes we want to be understood clearly and sometimes we pretend to be ambiguous or diplomatic. If someone proposes something to me and I answer “I don't feel like it”, I am being explicit with my answer. On the other hand, if I do not give a concrete answer before the same proposal, I resort to some evasive formula (for example, “I have to think about it”). We use one strategy or another depending on the context of communication and depending on our intention to speak.
The notion of explicit is often used to qualify the contents of movies, television shows, records, and other works. In this way, it is possible to differentiate between material that suggests certain situations (such as murder or sexual intercourse) and material that directly exhibits actions (that shows how a knife pierces someone's body and blood flows, or the naked body of the protagonists).
Typically, works with explicit content include a warning so that parents can determine whether it is appropriate for their children to have access to the material. The films, in this sense, have different ratings (not suitable for children under 18 years, suitable for all audiences, etc.), while the explicit lyrics have a legend that recommends parental supervision ("Parental notice: Explicit content", in English).
An irony, a satire, they are exactly the opposite of this type of message. In explicit communication there is sincerity, openness, simplicity and spontaneity. It says what it is and how it is, says or writes what it feels and how it feels, without words that hide the truth.
This concept is also fundamental in the case of text comprehension, since when there is such information, when reading it there is no doubt about what is being expressed, its meaning is evident and precise. Therefore, there is no room for doubts or debates.
This is the reason why this type of text is the one used in journalism, particularly in news and chronicles. There, due to the importance of providing reliable information, the facts cannot be misrepresented, they must be exposed as they have occurred, in an objective, transparent and manifest manner. Follow an order of presentation and use accessible language for all readers.
