expostulate

American  

[ik-spos-chuh-leyt] / ɪkˈspɒs tʃəˌleɪt /

verb (used without object)

expostulated, expostulating

1. to reason earnestly with someone against something that person intends to do or has done; remonstrate.

   His father expostulated with him about the evils of gambling.

   Synonyms:

   counsel, exhort, protest, argue, dispute

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expostulate British  

/ ɪkˈspɒstjʊˌleɪt /

verb

1. to argue or reason (with), esp in order to dissuade from an action or intention

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Other Word Forms

• expostulation
  noun
• expostulator
  noun
• expostulatory
  adjective
• unexpostulating
  adjective
• expostulatingly
  adverb

Etymology

Origin of expostulate

First recorded in 1525–35; from Latin expostulātus “urgently demanded, required” (past participle of expostulāre ); see ex- ¹, postulate

Explanation

When you expostulate, you argue strongly against someone doing something. You might expostulate with your little brother, objecting to his plan to jump off the roof into a pile of leaves. Someone who expostulates has strong opinions about other people's plans or ideas and a desire to convince them to change their minds. You might expostulate about your town's new law banning dogs from coffee shops, arguing against it in a letter to the local newspaper. Expostulate comes from the Latin root word expostulare, meaning "to demand urgently." The English word still contains this urgency, with an added sense of persuasion and reasoned argument.

Example Sentences

It occasion'd my being more consider'd by Mr. Palmer, as a young Man of some Ingenuity, tho' he seriously Expostulated with me upon the Principles of my Pamphlet which to him appear'd abominable.

From Benjamin Franklin Representative selections, with introduction, bibliograpy, and notes by Jorgenson, Chester E.