Explicit meaning is best described as?

• A. clearly stated or shown
• B. implied but not stated
• C. open to interpretation
• D. ambiguous

Answer: (A)

Explicit meaning is the information that a text states directly and clearly. It’s the surface-level sense you can pinpoint from the words itself, without guessing or reading between the lines. The best option describes something that is clearly stated or shown, because it captures that direct, unambiguous sense—the facts or definitions the author provides outright.

Implied meaning is not explicit; it’s what readers infer from clues in the text. Open to interpretation and ambiguous describe readings that aren’t clearly fixed by the words, which is why they don’t fit as well.