EXPATIATE

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does expatiate mean? 

• EXPATIATE (verb)
  The verb EXPATIATE has 1 sense:

1. add details, as to an account or idea; clarify the meaning of and discourse in a learned way, usually in writing

  Familiarity information: EXPATIATE used as a verb is very rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• EXPATIATE (verb)

Present simple: I / you / we / they expatiate    ... he / she / it expatiates   
Past simple: expatiated   
Past participle: expatiated   
-ing form: expatiating   

Sense 1

Meaning:

Add details, as to an account or idea; clarify the meaning of and discourse in a learned way, usually in writing

Classified under:

Verbs of telling, asking, ordering, singing

Synonyms:

dilate; elaborate; enlarge; expand; expatiate; exposit; expound; flesh out; lucubrate

Context example:

She elaborated on the main ideas in her dissertation

Hypernyms (to "expatiate" is one way to...):

clarify; clear up; elucidate (make clear and (more) comprehensible)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "expatiate"):

detail (provide details for)

exposit; expound; set forth (state)

exemplify; illustrate; instance (clarify by giving an example of)

particularise; particularize; specialise; specialize; specify (be specific about)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s
Somebody ----s something
Something ----s something
Somebody ----s PP

Sentence example:

They expatiate that there was a traffic accident

Derivation:

expatiation (a discussion (spoken or written) that enlarges on a topic or theme at length or in detail)

 Context examples 

I will not reason here—nor will I stop for YOU to expatiate on the absurdity, and the worse than absurdity, of scrupling to engage my faith where my honour was already bound.

(Sense and Sensibility, by Jane Austen)

And so it came to pass, that the bird, while out one day, met a fellow bird, to whom he boastfully expatiated on the excellence of his household arrangements.

(Fairy Tales, by The Brothers Grimm)

Laurie threw back his head, and laughed so heartily at this attack, that the felt hat fell off, and Jo walked on it, which insult only afforded him an opportunity for expatiating on the advantages of a rough-and-ready costume, as he folded up the maltreated hat, and stuffed it into his pocket.

(Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott)

Mrs. Thorpe, however, had one great advantage as a talker, over Mrs. Allen, in a family of children; and when she expatiated on the talents of her sons, and the beauty of her daughters, when she related their different situations and views—that John was at Oxford, Edward at Merchant Taylors', and William at sea—and all of them more beloved and respected in their different station than any other three beings ever were, Mrs. Allen had no similar information to give, no similar triumphs to press on the unwilling and unbelieving ear of her friend, and was forced to sit and appear to listen to all these maternal effusions, consoling herself, however, with the discovery, which her keen eye soon made, that the lace on Mrs. Thorpe's pelisse was not half so handsome as that on her own.

(Northanger Abbey, by Jane Austen)

The gentleness, modesty, and sweetness of her character were warmly expatiated on; that sweetness which makes so essential a part of every woman's worth in the judgment of man, that though he sometimes loves where it is not, he can never believe it absent.

(Mansfield Park, by Jane Austen)