elaborate

American  

[ih-lab-er-it, ih-lab-uh-reyt] / ɪˈlæb ər ɪt, ɪˈlæb əˌreɪt /

adjective

1. worked out with great care and nicety of detail; executed with great minuteness.

   elaborate preparations; elaborate care.

   Synonyms:

   painstaking

   Antonyms:

   simple

2. marked by intricate and often excessive detail; complicated; ornate.

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verb (used with object)

elaborated, elaborating

1. to work out carefully or minutely; develop to perfection.

   Synonyms:

   improve, refine

2. to add details to; expand.

3. to produce or develop by labor.

4. Physiology. to convert (food, plasma, etc.) by means of chemical processes into a substance more suitable for use within the body.

verb (used without object)

elaborated, elaborating

1. to add details in writing, speaking, etc.; give additional or fuller treatment (usually followed by on orupon ).

   to elaborate upon a theme or an idea.

   Synonyms:

   improve, refine

elaborate British  

/ ɪˈlæbərətɪv /

adjective

1. planned or executed with care and exactness; detailed

2. marked by complexity, ornateness, or detail

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verb

1. (intr; usually foll by on or upon) to add information or detail (to an account); expand (upon)

2. (tr) to work out in detail; develop

3. (tr) to make more complicated or ornate

4. (tr) to produce by careful labour; create

5. (tr) physiol to change (food or simple substances) into more complex substances for use in the body

Related Words

Elaborate, labored, studied apply to that which is worked out in great detail. That which is elaborate is characterized by great, sometimes even excessive, minuteness of detail: elaborate preparations for a banquet. That which is labored is marked by excessive, often forced or uninspired, effort: a labored style of writing. That which is studied is accomplished with care and deliberation, and is done purposely, sometimes even having been rehearsed: a studied pose.

Other Word Forms

• elaborately adverb
• elaborateness noun
• elaboration noun
• elaborative adjective
• elaborator noun
• nonelaborate adjective
• nonelaborately adverb
• nonelaborateness noun
• nonelaborating adjective
• nonelaborative adjective
• quasi-elaborate adjective
• quasi-elaborately adverb
• self-elaborated adjective
• superelaborate adjective
• superelaborately adverb
• superelaborateness noun
• unelaborate adjective
• unelaborated adjective
• unelaborately adverb
• unelaborateness noun
• well-elaborated adjective

Etymology

Origin of elaborate

First recorded in 1575–85; from Latin ēlabōrātus (past participle of ēlabōrāre ) worked out, equivalent to ē- intensive prefix + labōr- “work” + -ātus adjective suffix; e- ¹, -ate ¹

Example Sentences

Glinting under the exhibition centre lights, the gold brooch studded with gemstones on the startup founder's lapel was handmade by Indian artisans -- but artificial intelligence dreamt up its elaborate design.

From Barron's

And mine, though far less elaborate, were too.

From Salon

In Las Vegas: In “Jason Bourne,” an elaborate car chase involving some 200 vehicles closed down parts of the Las Vegas Strip overnight over two weeks of filming.

From The Wall Street Journal

There are people on Instagram who post elaborate morning routines, getting up at 3:30 a.m. and sticking their heads in bowls of ice.

From The Wall Street Journal

Scanning the room, largely full of teenagers, she elaborates on her last point.

From BBC