What Does ELI5 Mean in a Text?
The Quick Answer
ELI5 means "Explain Like I'm Five."More Observations...
ELI5 is a request to explain something in simple terms, such as a 5-year old could understand. It indicates that the sender has not grasped what was being said. ELI5 can be used self-deprecatingly, but it is often used sarcastically, especially when someone is trying to make an excuse for something that they have done (or failed to do), or when a plan or idea is unnecessarily complicated. For example:- Stephen: I'll talk you through how to set-up the app, then we can play online.
- Steph: Cool, but ELI5. (Here, ELI5 represents a genuine request for a clear and simple explanation.)
- Ali: Then Sam came in and insisted on buying everyone a drink, so then I had to stay to pay for my round. Then Chris bought another because it was Lee's birthday.
- Bo: Yeah, right. I still can't quite grasp how you were forced to not come home until after eleven o'clock and weren't allowed to call to let me know. ELI5. (Here, ELI5 indicates incredulity and sarcasm.)
- Jordan: Whilst the pigment particles embedded in the plumage of some swans will reflect the vast majority of electromagnetic radiation from ~700 nanometers to ~400 nanometers, the plumage and structures in the feathers of others will absorb a high proportion of the wavelengths perceivable as white light.
- Robin: ELI5
- Jordan: Swans can be black or white. (This example is taken from the entry for obfuscation fallacy on our sister site How To Get Your Own Way.)
Image for ELI5
When I write ELI5, I mean this:

ELI5 is a request for a simple explanation.
Summary of Key Points
We have summarized the key points in the table below:ELI5 | |
---|---|
Definition: | Explain Like I'm Five |
Type: | Acronym |
Guessability: | ![]() 3: Guessable |
Typical Users: | ![]() Adults and Teenagers |
An Academic Look at ELI5
ELI5 is typically used as a standalone imperative sentence (i.e., an order or request). It is not often used as a part of speech within a wider sentence. ELI5 is an acronym (i.e., an abbreviation spoken like a word). It is pronounced "elly-five." Acronyms differ from initialism abbreviations, which are pronounced using their individual letters.What Did We Say before Texting and Social Media?
Before the digital era, we might have written something like "Please use layman's terms," instead of using ELI5.Example of ELI5 Used in a Text
ELI5
You might also like...
Ways to Say I Love You
Text-Speak Using Numbers
AIUI (as I understand it)
ASO (I understand (archetypal Japanese term akin to "oh, I see"))
CAPISH (do you understand?)
CLICK (to understand)
GOTCHA (I understand (from "i've got you"))
HUH (heels up harris, I am confused or surprised, do you understand?)
IDU (I don't understand)
IIUC (if I understand correctly)
Help Us Improve Cyber Definitions
- Do you disagree with something on this page?
- Did you spot a typo?
- Do you know a slang term that we've missed?
Share This Page

If you like Cyber Definitions (or this page in particular), please link to it or share it with others. If you do, please tell us. It helps us a lot!
Create a QR Code

Use our handy widget to create a QR code for this page...or any page.
next up:
ELHMore Topics...
emoji library
(send a huge emoji)sex & dating terms
(fine-tune your search)spotting drug abuse
(protect loved ones)saying "I love you"
(learn new ways)encrypting messages
(get sneaky!)gaming terms
(chat like a gamer)spotting grooming
(protect loved ones)numbers in texting
(improve brevity)Spanish slang terms
(get "slangy" in Spanish)using special symbols
(find the codes)coronavirus terms
(remember covidiots)