explanatory (adj.)

A term used in GENERATIVE LINGUISTICS to refer to a level of achievement in the writing of GRAMMARS. Explanatory adequacy is achieved when a principled basis is established for deciding the relative merits of alternative grammars, all of which are DESCRIPTIVELY ADEQUATE (i.e. they account for the NATIVE-SPEAKER’S COMPETENCE). Several criteria have been suggested for FORMALIZING this notion, of which relative SIMPLICITY is the most investigated.