What is Explain Selected?
Beyond basic dictionary functionality, Explain Selected instantly provides authoritative Merriam-Webster definitions and native-speaker pronunciations, while generating customized explanations based on actual text usage. Users simply highlight text on a webpage and click the pop-up purple circle to trigger analysis; they can also save key vocabulary to their personal memory list or share it with others with a single click.
Key features
Using context-disambiguation technology, it intelligently identifies whether a polysemous term (such as "pounds") refers to weight, an action, or the British pound currency in the current context, thus avoiding general-purpose definition biases.
Integrated with the Merriam-Webster dictionary and ChatGPT, it simultaneously offers standard definitions, audio pronunciations, and personalized explanations geared toward comprehension.
Use cases and audience
Ideal for English learners, professionals who need to quickly understand online content, and readers requiring nuanced disambiguation of polysemous words.
- Offers context-aware, precise definitions for polysemous words—for example, distinguishing whether "pounds" refers to weight, an action, or the British pound.
- Get personalized explanations for slang and technical terms while browsing the web
- Save key vocabulary to your personal word list for review
Words or phrases selected by users on web pages.
Merriam-Webster dictionary definitions, audio pronunciations, and context-based personalized explanations.
Frequently asked questions
After installation, can all currently open tabs be used immediately?
No. After installation, you must manually refresh previously opened tabs to use it; moreover, this extension is unavailable on certain pages, such as the Chrome Web Store page.
Will this extension collect or sell my browsing data?
No. The developer states that data is not sold to third parties and is used solely for the extension’s core functionality, not for credit assessments or any unrelated purposes.
How to use
- 01
Select any word or phrase on a webpage
- 02
Click the pop-up purple circular button
- 03
View Merriam-Webster dictionary definitions and audio pronunciations generated by ChatGPT
- 04
Choose to save the word to your personal word list or share it with friends
Official website & sources
Updated on 2026-10-28
