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Implicit Vs Explicit

Joseph works at a water park and has two bosses, Michelle and Tim, who communicate with him differently. Michelle uses implicit communication such as facial expressions and body language that can be ambiguous and confusing. Tim uses explicit communication that is direct and clear. The document provides examples of how Michelle's implicit communication, such as telling Joseph he's doing great while looking angry, causes challenges interpreting her messages. It also defines implicit as indirectly stated and explicit as directly stated.

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Jennefer Gudao Aranilla
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866 views4 pages

Implicit Vs Explicit

Joseph works at a water park and has two bosses, Michelle and Tim, who communicate with him differently. Michelle uses implicit communication such as facial expressions and body language that can be ambiguous and confusing. Tim uses explicit communication that is direct and clear. The document provides examples of how Michelle's implicit communication, such as telling Joseph he's doing great while looking angry, causes challenges interpreting her messages. It also defines implicit as indirectly stated and explicit as directly stated.

Uploaded by

Jennefer Gudao Aranilla
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Implicit vs.

Explicit: What’s the


Difference?
Home » Implicit vs. Explicit: What’s the Difference?
There are many words in English that despite having very similar sounds
have completely different meanings. This can lead to confusion and usage
problems for native and non-native speakers alike, and the words implicit vs.
explicit are no exception to this.

These two words have almost opposite meanings but are regularly confused
because of their similar sound. Since they do have such different meanings,
you want to be sure you’re using the right one. In this post, I want to go over
the definitions of these words, explain their differences, and have you take a
quiz on their meanings.

After reading this post, you won’t ever again ask yourself the question, “Is it
explicit or implicit?”

When to Use Implicit

The definition of implicit is, “implied or


understood though not plainly or directly expressed.” Something is,
therefore, implicit when it is not directly stated but is either suggested in the
wording or necessary to effectuate the purpose. For example,

 There is a morality implicit in his writings.


 She implicitly said she likes white shoes by saying she likes all colors
but tan.
In the first example, the writer may not have clearly or directly laid out a
moral vision, but it is understood through the characters, their actions, and
their experiences.
In the second example, the woman states that she likes all shoe colors but
tan. While she doesn’t directly say she likes white shoes, she implicitly does
because white is not tan.

When to Use Explicit


The definition of explicit is, “to fully and clearly express something, leaving
nothing implied.” Something is explicit when it is cleared stated and spelled
out and there is no room for confusion, as in the writing of a contract or
statute. For example,

 The law was explicit in whose tax rates were to be raised.


 He said explicitly, you will not attend that concert.
In both of these examples, the word explicit is used to demonstrate
something that has been clearly and unambiguously expressed or stated.
There is no room for doubt because everything is clearly and directly
communicated.

This is what separates these two words. Something is implicit when it is


implied but not  directly stated. Something is explicit when it is directly stated
and leaves no room for uncertainty.
Quiz and Sentence Examples
1. The speaker’s intentions were not made ______.
2. The students found an ______ political statement in their teacher’s
remarks.
3. Let me be ______, I do not support this.
4. We have not finalized the decision, but have an ______ agreement.
Display the answers below.
Tricks to Remember
Here is a handy trick to remember the difference between these words.
Remember this and you won’t ever fall short when thinking, “Is it implicit or
explicit?”

A good way to keep explicit vs implicit apart is to remember that Implicit is


an Implied or Indirect statement. Both of these start with the letter “I.”
Explicit starts with an “E” and is Spelled Out, so there is no confusion.
Summary
Implicit and explicit have near opposite meanings, so it’s important to
remember their difference.

Implicit is indirectly stated or implied.


Explicit is directly stated and spelled out.

If you have any other questions about commonly misused English words, feel
free to check out our other posts on affect/effect, principal/principle, and
countless others.
Answers
1. Explicit
2. Implicit
3. Explicit
4. Implicit

Implicit & Explicit Definitions


Joseph works at the brand-new Drenched Water Park in Auburn City, Florida. He spends his
days organizing kid birthday parties, directing parking lot traffic and cleaning the facilities. He
loves his job and reports directly to two bosses: Michelle and Tim. Michelle is the manager of
the parties at the park, while Tim handles the day-to-day operations, such as cleaning. The only
issue Joseph has regarding his job is that both of his bosses communication very differently.

Michelle uses implicit communication rules to direct and inform Joseph at work. Implicit
communication rules are the use of facial expressions, body language, gestures, postures or
vocal qualities to help get a message across. Sometimes Michelle's use of no communication
can also be considered implicit as well. This type of communication can be very powerful. It is
also hard to interpret, as the recipient can be confused about the message.

Joseph's other manager, Tim, uses explicit communication rules to direct him with regards to
operation assignments. Explicit communication rules are about what a manager says or
writes and is usually very direct, clear and straightforward. This gives little room for confusion
or interpretation.

Let's take a look at each type of communication to see what challenges Joseph has during his
day at work.

Implicit Examples
Michelle's use of implicit communication rules can sometimes be very infuriating for Joseph.
She can be vague and confusing in her communication. For example, Michelle will tell Joseph
that he is doing a great job, but her face and tone is angry, and she doesn't even look at him
when speaking to him. Joseph is always stressed about whether he really is doing a good job or
if Michelle is upset with his work. She never has a smile on her face and always has her arms
crossed when she addresses his work team.

She also points and moves her hands dismissively. Most employees on the team find that her
negative body language and vocal tone reflect an unhappy manager. She is not highly liked, and
most employees dislike working for her. Her ambiguous attitudes and downright cold
demeanor make it quite a challenge for employees.

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Additional Activities

Implicit & Explicit Rules of Communication: Questions


for Reflection

1. Define and give two examples of implicit communication rules. In defining these rules,
discuss how this type of communication is conveyed.
2. Define and give two examples of explicit communication rules. In defining these rules,
discuss how this type of communication is conveyed.
3. Every week you have weekly staff meetings with your employees. You notice that
whenever you suggest working on a new project, one of your employees always rolls his
eyes. Occasionally, this employee will even laugh. Based on this information, is your
employee using implicit communication, explicit communication or both? Also, what
type of information is this employee indirectly conveying to you?
4. Whenever you see one of your co-workers, she asks you questions about your kids and
laughs and smiles when you tell stories about the mischief they get into. Based on this
information, is your employee using implicit communication, explicit communication or
both? Also, what type of information is this employee indirectly conveying to you?
5. It's possible for someone to say one thing with their words, but indicate a completely
different emotion with their body language. Describe a time when someone said
something nice to you but you didn't think they meant it based on some implicit
communication. Be specific about the implicit communication that they used and why
you thought it demonstrated negativity.

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