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Is there any single word to express make you understand?

I often face problem to replace the phrase make you understand when I say something to my audience like,

"I did it to make you understand the purpose"

What can be the correct word?

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  • maybe 'educate', or some synonym? "Make you understand" sounds a little aggressive. "Help you understand" sounds less so.
    – Cascabel_StandWithUkraine_
    Commented Apr 3, 2020 at 17:47
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    I suppose "pound it into your thick skull" doesn't qualify as a "single word".
    – Hot Licks
    Commented Apr 3, 2020 at 18:00
  • Can you substitute to make you understand for something as simple as to explain?
    – Yosef Baskin
    Commented Apr 3, 2020 at 18:07
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    In that particular sentence, I would use something like demonstrate, because of the verb did.
    – jxh
    Commented Apr 3, 2020 at 18:08
  • Trying to get you to catch on (2) to a casual way of saying it.
    – Jiminy Cricket.
    Commented Apr 3, 2020 at 18:23

4 Answers 4

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I like this one:

From https://www.dictionary.com/browse/elucidate

elucidate[ ih-loo-si-deyt ]

verb (used with object), e·lu·ci·dat·ed, e·lu·ci·dat·ing. to make lucid or clear; throw light upon; explain

verb (used without object), e·lu·ci·dat·ed, e·lu·ci·dat·ing. to provide clarification; explain.

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  • Welcome to English Language and Usage. Please take the tour and when you have a moment, read-up in the help center about how we work. Good first post.
    – Jiminy Cricket.
    Commented Apr 3, 2020 at 18:37
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Not exactly what you're looking for, but, I would tend to use:

  • Instill

https://dictionary.cambridge.org/us/dictionary/english/instill

to put a feeling, idea, or principle gradually into someone's mind, so that it has a strong influence on the way that person thinks or behaves

And I'd modify your sentence thusly:

"I took your bike to instill in you that stealing is wrong"

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I suggest this single word

I did it to enlighten you as to the purpose.

From Lexico

enlighten
VERB

1 Give (someone) greater knowledge and understanding about a subject or situation.
Thanks for educating and enlightening me.

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  • If educating and enlightening both are similar as many commented in this post, why both of them have been used in single example? Is there any real difference?
    – Sazzad Hissain Khan
    Commented Apr 4, 2020 at 6:09
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I would go with an alternate construction, to make it sound less aggressive.

illuminate

to explain and show more clearly something that is difficult to understand

Cambridge online

I did that to illuminate the purpose.

highlight

to attract attention to or emphasize something important

...also from Cambridge. Synonyms include spotlight, emphasize etc

I did that to emphasize/highlight the purpose.

NB: not sure if I would use 'purpose'

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